A Touch of Destiny
by the psycho sour skittle
Summary: How does one event change the course of two lives? A HouseCameron story. Will be OOC at times, but as close in in character as possible. DISCONTINUED
1. Tragedy isn’t just in Shakespeare

Story Title: Touch of Destiny

General summery: How would House react if Cameron was shot?

Chapter One: Tragedy isn't just in Shakespeare

Chapter summery: Allison is late and finds herself in an uncomfortable situation. House reacts in his Housian way -- unpredictably.

xXx

Disclaimer: Not mine, unless you don't recognize a character. Then it is mine, and you shouldn't take it.

AN: I was trying to sleep, and instead came up with this for a plot line. Pretty lame, huh? Lol. Anywhoo, just review if you like the story. I like reviews, even if it is a one-shot. This was going to be a one-shot, but I changed my mind by the end of the chapter. Enjoy!

Oh, and does anyone know what House's middle name is? Or can I take liberties and invent one?

xXx

The sky darkened as the clouds tumbled in.

Thunder rolled far in the distance.

Lightening flashed bright against the dark clouds.

There was a strange sort of peace in the fierceness of the storm. A lesser person would cower in fear from the ferocity and awesomeness of such a display of power, but not him.

Instead, he paced, listening to the symphony and watching the dancers of this dangerous spectacle as the lightening danced across the black sky and for a brief moment, the city surrounding his apartment building was lit up in a bright, white light where every shadow was gone and every detail was visible.

But only a brief moment passed before the world around him was brought back into utter darkness, with only the timpani of the sky remaining, a deep dark sounding timpani that rolled throughout the sky, emitting a sharp crescendo before slowly turning into decrescendo that echoed throughout the city.

The night was dark save for the infrequent flashes of lightening that laced through the dark grey clouds that now blended in with the moonless sky. The rain left rivulets of water streaming down the slightly dirty window that was faintly illuminated by a single light.

However dark the night was, the thoughts of the man inside the apartment where the dirty, rain-streamed window was a part of were even darker.

_How could she leave me just like that?_

The man was pacing the well-worn carpeted floor with only the light from the side table next to his couch barely illuminating his face which was currently marred by a hideous scowl.

_We spend five wonderful months together and her thanks for me is to simply drop me like a used tea bag as soon as she's tired of me. _

He paused to stare out the window as best as he could until the flash of lightening dragged him out of his daydream-type state of mind.

_I thought she was over him. She told me she was. In fact, she insists that it's not about _him_; it's about how she doesn't want to 'settle' with me._

He punched his fist against his other hand and growled out loud, though his voice was drowned out by the long, loud roll of the thunder.

_She'll know soon what I think about this betrayal._

He pulled out his cell phone and punched in a number, waiting until he heard a 'hello' from the other end.

"Is everything ready?"

The person on the other end answered affirmatively.

"Good. Do you remember who you need?"

Again, the person answered with the name the man in the apartment was looking for.

"Precisely. Don't mess this up."

His plan for revenge would begin in the morning.

xXx

Allison Cameron was frustrated.

Scratch that. She was royally pissed, almost to the point of being as anal as House without his Vicodin.

Her alarm clock hadn't gone off at the time it was supposed to, leaving her rushing around the room trying to get ready in a very short amount of time. Her shower was cold, and lacked any sort of pressure. The landlord would later tell her that the hot water pipe had burst the night before.

When she had gone to get dressed, she had discovered that the shirt she was going to wear that day ended up having a huge stain right down the middle of the front. After digging through her closet, she discovered that nothing else matching the skirt she was going to wear, leaving her to try and find another outfit to wear.

She didn't have time to eat breakfast, and to top it all off, her car wouldn't start. She called the cab service, who said that they would be there shortly. Twenty minutes later, the driver finally pulled up at her door. Traffic was bad, and the cabbie had no idea where the Princeton Plainsboro Teaching Hospital even was at first, which made her now a grand total of an hour late.

Finally at the hospital, she was now digging through her purse to find some cash while muttering words that would've made a sailor blush. She paid the cab driver and stormed into the hospital. If anyone had dared to make a comment, they would've told her that she appeared to be Dr. House in a woman's body.

She brushed right by the reception desk, responding with a 'oh bugger off' to the cheery 'good morning Dr. Cameron' from Brenda. The nurse had just stared at the retreating back and thinking that maybe it was time for Dr. Allison Cameron to switch to a different fellowship because Dr. House had had too much of an influence on her.

When she got to the diagnostics department, she discovered to her horror that Chase had used the coffee machine. She spat out what she had put in her mouth, dumped out the rest of the foul brew, and made another batch. The pinging of the coffee brewing calmed her down some and she sat down at House's computer to check his email.

A note was attached to the screen.

_Doctor Cameron, you are LATE! _

House had scrawled out on a yellow sticky note, the _LATE_ heavily blackened and underlined multiple times. He had signed it…

_G. House_

…and to her surprise, had added a smiley face. She read the PS at the end.

_It's about bloody time you're late._

She smiled for the first time all morning and proceeded to check his email. She wrote out all the messages she knew that he would have to reply to and was just about to get up from his chair when the phone rang. She frowned, pondering whether or not to answer it. She sighed, the nice side showing through, and answered it. "Diagnostics Department, Dr. Cameron speaking."

It turned out to be Cuddy, who wanted to speak with Cameron. "Hello, Allison. I wanted to know if everything was alright. I had a distraught nurse come to me and say that she was afraid that House had somehow been transformed into you. 'Next thing we'll hear,' she had said, 'is that House is in the clinic being nice to all the patients.'"

Cameron laughed. "I am truly sorry about that Lisa. It was Brenda, I believe. I'll go find her and apologize." She sighed heavily.

"Bad morning?" Cuddy surmised.

"Very bad." She agreed, sitting down in House's chair again.

"Tell me about it."

Allison proceeded to tell her boss all about her morning while moving to sorting House's mail. Halfway through the story, Chase and Foreman made their way back into the room.

"Yes!" Foreman pumped a fist into the air and poured a cup of coffee. "Cameron, you need to be here on time. Chase's coffee is terrible, to put it nicely."

"Hey!" Chase protested, flopping down in one of the chairs at the long table. "At least I made the coffee this morning! House never would've made it."

"No, Foreman, Chase's coffee is poison. Cameron, off the phone." House snarked as he walked into the room, ignoring Chase's comment completely. "No personal calls."

"Hold on, Lisa. House, I'm on the phone with our boss." She emphasized _our_ and glared at House who held up his hands in mock surrender.

"Forgive me for interrupting, your royal niceness. We don't have a case, so whenever you decide to get off the phone, you can go do my clinic hours." He picked up something from off his desk and left the room.

"Sorry, Lisa." A pause then Cameron laughed. "He just left, so I can't tell him." She turned back to her conversation with Lisa while Foreman and Chase just pulled out crossword puzzles and began to work on them diligently.

A man poked his head into the room. "Excuse me, are one of you Dr. House." Cameron held up a hand as if to say 'hold on a minute' but before she or any of the other ducklings could say anything, he fired two shots.

The last thing Allison Cameron remembered was the frantic voice of Cuddy asking over the phone what the hell had happened and Foreman shouting for a gurney and for Chase to go find House.

The gunman disappeared down the hall as Foreman and Chase jumped up and dropped at Cameron's side. Foreman took up the phone and yelled at Cuddy to call for a gurney and to have it sent to the Diagnostic's Department. He hung up before she could reply, the last thing he could hear her say was to ask why. He knew she would send the gurney because he knew that she had heard the gun shots. He grabbed a bandana out of his back pocket and pressed it into the wound on Cameron's neck and bunched her lab coat where the side wound was.

"Chase!" He yelled when he noticed Chase just squatting there stunned, unmoving. "Go get House. Tell him Cameron's been shot. Don't mention that the shots were for him. Wouldn't want him to get all teary eyed." When Chase didn't move, he kicked at him. "Move, Chase! NOW!"

Chase shook himself and jumped up. "House, right. Don't tell him that she was shot because of him; just tell him she was shot. That makes sense. He's not going to eventually figure out that it wasn't meant for her." He shot sarcastically as he sprinted out of the office down the hall searching for House. He knew where to start. The clinic. And if House wasn't there, he'd search the whole damn hospital.

Foreman looked at the clock as Chase left. 9:40 am. "Damn it. It's too early for this to be happening." He looked down at Cameron. "Hold on, Cameron. The gurney is coming." Another glance at the clock told him that only a minute had passed. "Hurry up, Cuddy."

"Sorry." Cuddy had burst in just in time to hear Foreman's muttered comment. "We're here now." The two nurses came in with the gurney and lowered it so they could get Cameron onto it. "What happened?" She asked, her tone quickly becoming business-like.

Foreman sighed, shifting so the nurses could slide her onto the gurney. "Some guy came in asking if one of us were Dr. House." He shifted again so that they could put an IV in Cameron's arm. Cuddy took the bag and held it up.

Foreman continued his story. "She raised a hand to tell him to hold on a second when he shot at her twice." He stood up with the nurses, keeping the pressure on the wounds. "She collapsed; the guy ran off, I picked up the phone to tell you and ordered Chase to go find House." The four of them were now on their frantic way to the ER.

Cuddy just shook her head because she couldn't close her eyes. "Damn."

They had almost made it into the ER when a very distinguishable voice yelled out. "Wait! I need to see her. I need to see Cameron!"

xXx

Chase was now the one who was frustrated. House wasn't in any of his usual places. The nurses at the clinic had actually laughed when he asked if House was there. "Sure, laugh about it." He had muttered before running off. "Cameron could be dying and all you can do is laugh." Of course, he hadn't told them WHY he was looking for House, but still.

He checked Wilson's office, but the door was locked and the window's dark. After about 5 minutes of sprinting around the hospital, he finally called House's cell.

"Is someone dying? Because if not, you have just interrupted a very nice dream about me and Angelina Jolie, and I am going to have to find you and torment you in many horrid ways." House's annoyance about being woken up was obvious.

"Actually, someone _is_ dying, House." Chase gasped, trying to catch his breath.

"What's wrong, Chasey? Ran a marathon? I told you that running can kill you British blokes." House snarked.

He rolled his eyes. "I've been trying to find you for five minutes."

"Whoo, five minutes." House mocked. "Well, tell Cuddy that Cameron's taking my clinic hours." He was greatly annoyed. "I'm going back to…"

"House, Cameron's been shot." Chase finally got out, sick of House's blatant disrespect for both Chase and Cameron.

The line went silent.

"House? House!" Chase heard the phone line die and knew that House had hung up. "Bastard."

"I know you are but what am I." A certain snarky tone sounded down the hall. Chase turned to see House came barreling out of a room a couple doors down from where the Australian was standing.

"Where is she?" He ordered his tone dropping to his serious voice, his stare unmoving and hard as he passed by the Australian.

"She's on the way to the ER." Chase found that despite his disability, House could really book it. Chase was almost running in order to keep up with House.

"The ER? Why there?" House turned his cold stare to Chase as they kept racing down the hall. "Why not the OR?" He tried to keep the panic out of his voice as he focused his attention to the obstacles in the hall. "Is it that bad?" He rounded a corner and barreled into a cart. "Damn it all!" He untangled himself, accepted Chase's hand and pulled himself up before continuing his hobble/run down the hall.

"OR's too crowded. They've scheduled too many surgeries for today as it is." Chase explained weakly, just as worried for Cameron as House was.

As they came in view of the ER, both House and Chase could see the small group just entering the double doors.

House couldn't keep the fear out of his voice. "Wait! I need to see her. I need to see Cameron!" He saw Cuddy turn around and stop the nurses. House came to a stop beside the gurney and frowned when he saw Cameron. "Cameron! Can you hear me?"

Her eyes fluttered open and focused on House's face. "House? What are you…?"

His face instantly relaxed. "Shhh. Don't talk Cameron." He put a finger on her lips. "You are going to be okay."

She nodded and closed her eyes again. "It hurts, House." Her voice dropped off as she slipped back into the subconscious world.

He glared at the four with the gurney, any hint of a smile completely gone, and snatched the bag from Cuddy, trading his cane for it. "Bring it. Let's move it, people." He held onto the side of the gurney for support as they rushed to the OR of the emergency room.

"Hold on, Allison." He whispered, not seeing the sharp look Cuddy threw his way. "We'll take care of you."

xXx

He hadn't been allowed into the operating room. He had fought tooth and nail to be allowed in the room, but since Cuddy was there, he was finally forced to either back down and wait in the hall, or be suspended and not allowed in the hospital for three weeks.

With a heated glare at the room's occupants and a fleeting tender look at Cameron, he stormed out of the room. He was now pacing the hall as best he could, shaking his orange bottle of Vicodin as he thought.

_What's wrong with you, Greg House?!_

House was berating himself mentally as he paced the long, white hall.

_It's just one of you're ducklings. It's Cameron. You don't like her, remember? She just wants to fix you; she's too caring and sweet._

He growled low in his throat and hit the wall with his cane in frustration.

_Who am I kidding? Certainly not me. It may have worked yesterday, but not any more. It's amazing how one incident can alter how you feel about someone. Or at least how you will finally admit to how you feel about them._

While he was thinking and pacing, he didn't notice Wilson standing at the corner just watching him. After a bit, Wilson made his presence known. "House?"

Greg's head flew up and Wilson was shocked by the tormented look in his friend's eyes. "They wouldn't let me in." House said hoarsely, looking away as if to hide the pain he was feeling.

"I figured as much when I found you out here instead of hassling the doctors and nurses who are working on Cameron." Wilson noted calmly, hiding his confusion about how House was acting. Now was not the time to tease him about his apparent feelings for the young Dr. Cameron.

House sank into one of the chairs sitting outside the door and dropped his cane beside it, covering his face with his hands. The sound of scraping wood brought his gaze up to meet Wilson's, who was handing him his cane. He accepted it with a nod and propped his chin on his hands, staring at the wall in front of him. The two sat there in silence, one plotting, and the other tormented by his thoughts.

House was the first to break the silence. "Don't you have something better to do than sit here with me?"

"Cameron is my friend, too. I have just as much right as you do to sit here."

The diagnostician nodded before he sighed heavily, rubbing a hand over his face. "How?"

"How, what?"

"How is it she, of all people, was shot?"

Wilson shrugged. It was just as much of a mystery to him as it was to House. "Maybe she had a bad day and she took it out on a patient in the clinic. Now he's getting back at her for her rude behavior."

House snorted. "That's as likely as me creating a tree. Or a rainbow with a pot of venomous snakes at the end instead of gold. Doesn't happen."

The sound of footsteps echoed through the hall and covered Wilson's slight laugh. House looked up, expecting to see Cuddy but instead saw Chase and Foreman. With a nasty look aimed at the pair, he returned to staring at the floor.

"How is she?" Chase asked. He was slightly offended when the only response he got from his boss was a grunt and a glare.

"How do you think she is, you moron." Foreman hissed. "She was shot!"

"Twice, in fact." House said monotonously. "Same as I was, and in pretty much the same place. Did you guys get a good look at the bastard?"

Foreman shook his head. "He wasn't the same guy."

House nodded and focused on the lines on the wall in front of him, effectively ignoring the three around him.

Chase and Foreman endured the painful silence for about three minutes before Chase cleared his throat and made an offhand remark about paging him when Cameron got out of surgery and headed down towards the clinic. Foreman just nodded to Wilson and House, who didn't acknowledge him in the slightest, and followed Chase.

Two hours had passed since she disappeared into the ER and there was still no sign of a doctor or Cameron. House had taken four Vicodin since he had taken residence in the hall and was feeling more and more agitated.

"Where are they? Why hasn't anyone come out here yet?" House stood up and began to pace again. The bang of the doors caused him to whirl around, almost falling. He looked up to see the weary, but relieved face of Lisa Cuddy. House didn't say anything. He just fixed his boss with his stare as if to ask if Cameron was okay.

Luckily, Cuddy had known House long enough to read his look. "She's fine. Or at least, she will be. She's being moved to room 212. You can go over there in about five minutes."

She collapsed in the chair House had previously occupied and sighed, contemplating whether or not to tell House why she had been shot. "House!" She called when she realized that both he and Wilson were heading down the hall. "Wait for me."

"Catch up. You aren't the cripple here." House snarked over his shoulder without missing a step. He stopped at the elevator and stabbed at the button rapidly. "C'mon, hurry up damn it."

Cuddy stopped beside him and put a hand on his arm. "House, she's alright. She is going to live."

He turned his glare to her. "I realize that, Dr. Cuddy. Are you sure that your brains aren't all in your breasts?" He snapped before stepping into the elevator with her and Wilson right behind.

The ride to second floor was short, but quiet, with only the clicks of the elevator keeping them company. The moment the doors opened again, House was moving as fast as he could down to room 212. The nurse was leaving as he arrived.

"Dr. House. You can go in, but she's still unconscious from the surgery. She'll be awake in about an hour, maybe two." She said gently before nodding her greetings to Dr. Cuddy and Dr. Wilson and heading to another patient's room.

House walked into the room almost reverently, pausing at the side of Cameron's bed. His heart twisted at the pitiful sight she made. Her face was pale and a bandage covered her right shoulder.

He hesitantly reached out and gently stroked her hair. "Cameron." He whispered gruffly, pulling up a chair and sitting down. He hesitantly reached out and took her cold hand in his. The steady beeps alerted him to her steady heart rate and it comforted him somehow.

He wasn't sure how long he sat there, but Wilson and Cuddy finally entered the room and Wilson put a hand on House's shoulder. "She's fine, House."

"I know." He murmured, his eyes never leaving her face.

"House, I got a page a minute ago." Cuddy finally spoke. "You have a case."

He looked up at Cuddy and nodded. "Wonderful." He said briskly. He winced as he stood up and popped a Vicodin before reaching out and tenderly brushing Cameron's forehead with his fingers. He ignored the curious looks of the other two doctors and stepped out of the room.

Wilson and Cuddy followed slowly, a similar thought on both minds. _Should I tell him?_

House started off down the hall when he paused, his eyes narrowing. Spinning around, he stalked back to where Cuddy was closing the door. "It was for me, wasn't it?"

"What?" Cuddy was startled. Did he read her thoughts?

"Those. Shots. Were. For. Me." He said slowly, closing his eyes. "Damn it."

"What makes you say that, House?" Wilson asked cautiously, sharing a look with Cuddy.

He gave a twisted smirk. "She's too sweet and nice for someone to want to kill her. Me on the other hand…" He trailed off as he came to a horrified realization. "I might as well have shot her myself."

He felt sick to his stomach as he turned and raced down the hall to the elevator, leaving two shell shocked doctors behind, both who were wondering what they were going to do to fix this situation and how they were going to convince the moody Dr. House that the shooting wasn't his fault.

House needed to get away and think.

Alone.

xXx

AN: So there's the first part of the story. Any good? Comments are welcome. Complements and constructive criticism will be taken like House takes Vicodin. I will first mock any flames before treating them with scorn and snark. And believe me, I have plenty of snark to go around. When I'm in a bad mood, I'm the female version of House.

However, positive and productive reviews make me happy. And a happy Psycho Strider is much like Allison Cameron, though without the bunnies, rainbows, and butterflies, because I'm not a girly girl and I hate above said girly things. Let's just say that I'm nice when I'm happy.

Get the picture?

Anywhoo, I love you all bunches and bunches and I am greatly appreciative of any complements or CONTSTRUCTIVE criticism. And just an FYI: badmouthing is not constructive, it is a FLAME. Therefore, it will have done to it as I have said I will do to it. I like ideas, and corrections if I have made a drastic mistake. And that includes grammar, spelling, and plot. I'm terrible at both spelling and grammar. I am officially labeling this as OOC and AU, meaning I'm taking liberties with all three the seasons. And for anyone who's wondering…

OOC out of character

AU Alternate Universe

Yeah, that took me ages to figure out.

Toodles for now!

Psycho Strider


	2. My mind is my worst enemy

Story Title: Touch of Destiny

Chapter Two: My mind is my worst enemy

Chapter summery: House is guilty, Cameron is in pain, and House does something unexpected in an expected way.

xXx

Disclaimer: Not mine, unless you don't recognize a character. Then it is mine, and you shouldn't take it.

AN: Oh my word, I seriously wasn't expecting this many people to respond! I haven't had very good reviews for my previous House stories. I love you all! And sorry about the OOC with House, but he's a little more "House" in this chapter.

xXx

House had fled the hospital building. But instead of taking off for home in the corvette, he paced around the grounds and ignoring the pain in his thigh, not willing to leave the hospital for fear Cameron would wake up and call for him. He face was pulled into a scowl and anyone who was anyone knew that he was deep in thought. With one hand on his cane and the other shoved into his pockets and his face gruff and mean-looking, no one disturbed him and he was happy that way. His thoughts matched his bleak outwardly disposition.

_This is my fault._

House was mentally berating himself, subconsciously rubbing his own scar on his neck.

_This is the ultimate puzzle, and it's about me. That bastard wouldn't have shot Cameron if he hadn't thought she was me. And he wouldn't have wanted to shoot me if I wasn't such a bastard. And if his wife hadn't died, I suppose, but there was nothing we could do about that. Everyone dies eventually._

He stopped short, the scowl growing more fierce if possible.

_Cameron is NOT going to die! Get a hold of yourself, Greg!_

He angrily resumed his thumping around the medical campus, blissfully (or rather un-blissfully if you'd rather look at it that way) unaware of his surroundings.

xXx

House's office, even if he himself wasn't occupying it, was far from empty. Inside the room stood four out of five of the only people who could handle House for longer than a minute.

"Do you think he's okay?" Chase said to no one in particular, bouncing House's giant tennis ball against the wall from his spot House's couch.

Foreman just glared at him from his seat in House's chair. "What do you think, Chase? I think House is right, you really like to ask stupid questions."

Before Chase could reply, Cuddy stepped into the conversation, turning from examining the bookshelves. "Guys, this isn't the time to argue about this. We have a drastically more important matter to discuss."

The pair agreed and turned their attention towards Cuddy. Wilson stayed at the window, just staring blankly out at the campus. "This is killing him."

"Okay, what we are going to do is…." Cuddy started to talk before turning to Wilson, a confused expression on her face. "What did you say, Wilson?"

He turned from the window slowly, a tortured expression in his eyes. "If she dies, there is no way he's going to survive. You can see what just having her injured is doing to him."

"She is not going to die!" Foreman hissed venomously, clenching his fists and spinning the chair around to face Wilson.

Wilson held his hands up in surrender. "I never said she was. I just said…"

"We heard what you said, James." Cuddy intervened with a sigh, her hands on her hips. "And Eric is right; she's not going to die. Anyways, as I was saying, what we need to do is convince House that this wasn't his fault."

"That is going to be hard, considering I'm willing to bet almost anything that he's down there blaming himself for the whole ordeal." Chase muttered sullenly, chucking the ball at the wall with extra speed. "He's acting completely unlike himself."

"There you go again with the obvious statements." Foreman rolled his eyes, folding his hands in front of him and twisting the chair side to side. "What else would House be doing? If he wasn't going 'oh poor me' I'd worry about him."

"That's the problem." Wilson looked up from examining the ground, his eyes now boring holes in Cuddy, Foreman, and Chase. "He's not doing this as a 'oh poor me' attitude. He's doing this as an 'I'm an asshole and my bastard attitude towards patients has just gotten Allison Cameron shot' attitude."

The other three fell silent at that statement, knowing that what Wilson said was probably right. A few minutes passed before the silence was broken.

"Now back to my original question." Cuddy said finally, looking at all of them. "What are we going to do?"

xXx

Luckily for the four in his office, House had no idea what was going on. All he was aware of was the fact that Cameron (not_ his_ Cameron, he insisted mentally) was in a hospital room, the hospital she was _employed_ at, with two gunshot wounds that could have been prevented if he wasn't such a bastard.

He knew he had to go see Cameron, but he couldn't find the courage to go. He didn't want to see the hate or condemnation in her eyes. He didn't care about the rest of the nursing staff's curious glances; he just cared about _her_ opinion. His eyes widened in shock. "I actually care about what someone thinks about me." He whispered out loud, his voice harsh in the quiet of the late morning sun.

He felt sick to his stomach again at the thought of Cameron looking up at him as she lay upon that stretcher: pale, scared, and in pain. He forced himself to focus on the feeling euphoria he had felt when she said his given name and at knowing she was alive. He stopped beside a tree and leaned on it, closing his eyes. He barely noticed that his breathing was getting faster and heavier as he thought again about how his stupidity had almost cost another their life.

In his growing anger, he took his cane and whacked the tree next to him with a force he didn't know he possessed.

xXx

The four had been talking in House's office for an hour now and still had yet to come up with a reasonable solution to the problem at hand.

"I still say we need to whack him over the head with his cane." Chase had given up throwing the ball and instead was bouncing it lightly and catching it.

"And I still say that that action will get you fired." Foreman reasoned, rolling his eyes.

Wilson was about to say something when the door flung open and in limped House, holding the broken pieces of his cane, with an almost sheepish look on his face…almost sheepish, mind you.

Cuddy was the first to recover. "House, what the hell?"

"Hit a tree." He muttered, not looking at any of them in the room. "Out of my chair, home-dog." He motioned for Foreman to vacate his chair. Once said chair was empty, he collapsed into it, wincing and popping three vicoden, rubbing his leg until the pain softened. "I need my spare cane." He grunted, looking up at Wilson with a glance that said _get it for me_.

Wilson sighed and walked out, heading towards his office.

"So much for the cane idea." Chase threw the tennis ball at the wall again and let it stay where it fell. "I'm going to the clinic."

"Me too." Foreman grabbed his pen from his backpack and headed out behind Chase, leaving House alone with Cuddy.

House didn't react as the two un-shot ducklings left the office. Cuddy's stern expression grew to one of concern when he didn't move from staring into space motionless.

"House." She said quietly. When he didn't respond, she threw his ball at him. He looked up at her with grief-stricken, self-tortured eyes.

"What?" His voice sounded pathetic even to him.

"This is_not_ your fault." Cuddy said, emphasizing not.

He looked down, ashamed. "Yes it is." He whispered, spinning his chair so he wasn't facing Cuddy. Wilson chose to re-enter at that moment.

"Here's your spare cane, I took it from the 'Vette. I'm glad you drove that today instead of your bike." He leaned the cane against the desk and joined Cuddy standing in front of said desk. He shared a look with Cuddy and sighed. "House, she's fine. It was an accident. No one…"

House whirled around, his eyes venomous, his tone incredulous and loud. "A fucking accident? Is that what you kids are calling it now-a-days? Where I come from, shooting someone isn't an accident, especially when said shooter enters into a hospital to shoot his doctor." He slammed his fist on the desk and winced as his cane hit the ground.

Reaching down, he picked up the cane and stood up. "I'll be…somewhere. Don't try to find me." He motioned for Cuddy, who had started to speak, to shut up. "I'll be in the clinic for mine and Cameron's hours at one. Not a minute sooner." With a glare, he stalked out of the office, well, limp-stalked, and disappeared down the hall, leaving Cuddy and Wilson standing there stunned and worried.

xXx

Greg found himself in the elevator heading to fifth floor. The trip seemed to take forever, when in all reality, it only lasted for about 30 seconds. The moment the doors opened, he took off down the hall, brushing past the 5 nurses who were waiting to use the elevator. The halls were surprisingly quiet, and his footsteps and cane echoed in the seemingly deserted hallway. There were two nurses walking the halls and checking on patients, but other than them and himself, no one graced the halls.

_Must be lunch time._ House mused, realizing that he was getting to the point of being hungry. He stopped at room 212, hesitating before slowly opening the door. He ignored the rush of emotions that coursed through him and focused on one thing: seeing Cameron. The first thing he noticed was that the blinds were open. He turned his gaze to the reason he was there in the first place and what would be a smile for House crossed his face when he saw she was sitting up and staring out the window.

xXx

The first realization Allison was aware of was the pain, first in her neck and then in her side. When she opened her eyes, she slammed them shut again due to the blaring light streaming in. She groaned and instantly the light went away. She took the opportunity to open her eyes once more and found herself face to face with a friendly nurse she had never seen before. "Who are you?" She asked hoarsely, lifting her head slightly to see better.

The nurse smiled and fixed the blankets. "I'm Suzy Denning, Dr. Cameron. And in case you are wondering, you are still at the PPTH, and you are going to be just fine."

Cameron leaned her head back onto the pillow and smiled gratefully. She took in her surroundings and noticed that the room was bare. The nurse gave a sympathetic smile. "You haven't been here long, dear. I'm sure Dr's Chase, Foreman, and Wilson will be here shortly to say hello."

"Thank you, Suzy. Oh, I have one request." Cameron said quietly before the nurse could leave. "Could you open the blinds? My eyes have adjusted and it's drab and dark in here. I'm afraid that if it stays that way, I'll become depressed fast."

"Oh sure thing, dearie." Suzy hurried over to the window and opened the blinds. "There you are: sunlight just for you. Is there anything else I can get for you?"

"No, I think I'm good."

"Alright. If you want to sit up…"

"I know how the beds work, Suzy." Cameron said dryly. "I do work here, remember?"

"Right, right." The nurse seemed unaffected. "Quite right. Well, I shall leave you now. If you need me, just buzz." She closed the door gently behind her as she left.

Cameron pushed the buttons on the side of her bed until she was in an upright position. She hated being in the hospital as a patient. If her neck and side didn't hurt so badly, she'd get up and go back to work. But most of all, she hated feeling useless. She let out a huge sigh and instantly regretted it, wincing as her stitches pulled painfully. She turned her head towards the window and lost herself in her thoughts.

A movement at the door turned her head. She was startled to find House standing at the door, an unfamiliar cane in his hand. "Hey." She whispered.

"Hey." He said gruffly, closing the door and sitting in the chair beside her bed. He bounced the cane as he spoke. "How are you feeling?"

She shrugged, wincing again. "Like I was shot." She smiled, knowing that the joke fell flat.

House visibly flinched. "Yeah." A few moments passed before he worked up the courage to ask her the next question. "Do you know why?"

"Some asshole was looking for you." She said simply, in a no nonsense voice. House was silent, his eyes boring into hers. A concerned expression crossed her face and she reached out to him, not expecting him to take her hand. "It wasn't your fault, House."

He just stared at the hand she extended like it was poisoned. "How can you say that?" He growled. "If he wasn't looking for me in the first place, he wouldn't have shot you." House stood up and looked down at her. "I'll see you later."

"Wait, House." Cameron's weak voice reached his ears, but he didn't turn around. Instead, he left a sorrowful Cameron in tears, wondering what she had said wrong.

xXx

Cameron's words kept ringing through his mind as House stood in line in the cafeteria, waiting for his Reuben. He took the sandwich without question and stared at the cook who just rolled her eyes and went on to the next customer. He started for the checkout line but stopped, sighing. In an act of very rare kindness, he went back to the line and grabbed a bowl of soup with a takeout cover and a spoon. He once again proceeded to the checkout line, wishing he had thought of a tray. He settled for putting his sandwich on top of the soup and waited impatiently for the line to move forward. Throwing money at the cashier, he took his change and limped out of the cafeteria without saying a word to anyone.

Wilson and Cuddy watched the whole ordeal without a word. Once House was gone, they looked at each other. "Soup." Wilson commented. "He got soup. House hates soup."

"It's for Cameron." Cuddy leaned back in her chair and drank the last of her coke.

Wilson nodded. "Maybe this will be good for him."

Cuddy snorted. "Yeah, maybe. However, knowing House as long as we have, we both know that it's going to take more than her getting shot to get him to realize his feelings for her."

"What more can happen to her, Lisa?" Wilson leaned forward, a frown on his face. "She can die. That's it. And God knows we don't what that to happen."

"No, but someone else can come and steal her heart away." Cuddy smirked. "You see, James, House is a very jealous person. If he senses that someone wants _his_ girl, he will fight for her."

"Or," He drew out the word, "he'll retreat into his shell even further. We both know that that is the most likely outcome of that. Greg will never admit his feelings if he thinks she's going for someone else. That's the type of sardonic, pessimistic bastard he is."

Lisa didn't have a reply. Instead she stood up and picked up her tray. "I have work to do. I'll see you later, James."

"Yeah, yeah." He said distractedly, standing up as well. "Let's hope House isn't doing anything stupid." The pair left the cafeteria and headed their separate ways.

xXx

_If this isn't the cheesiest, most __**sensitive**__ thing I've ever done, than my name isn't Gregory House._ House was seriously questioning his actions as he left the hospital gift shop. _Why the hell do we have a gift shop?_ Stabbing at the elevator, he impatiently waited for the doors to open, praying he wouldn't drop his and Cameron's lunch as well as the gift he had forced himself to buy at the shop. He glared at the twittering nurses that escaped the elevator and pushed his way inside. The trip to fifth took just as long as the first time, though it felt even longer to him.

He pushed open the door to room 212 and sighed when he saw that she had fallen asleep, the salty tracks on her cheeks letting him know that she had been crying. He set down the food on the table and the gift on the chair. Walking back down to the nurses' station, he asked if any of them had seen a prescription pad lying around. With a confused look, the nurse handed him a blank, unnamed sheet. He grabbed the pen from her hand and proceeded to scribble something on it. With a nod to the nurse, he stalked off back down the hall, prescription in hand.

Cameron was still asleep when he re-entered the room. Reaching out, he tenderly brushed her cheek and pushed the button to lower her back down to a prone position. She never moved, she just kept on sleeping. He put the prescription note on top of the soup with the spoon next to the bowl. He set the bag that held the gift for her on the floor next to the bed. Giving her one last long look, House picked up his Reuben, and quietly left the room, wondering if he would come to regret what he had just done.

xXx

AN: And thus ends another chapter. Reviews are House's Vicodin!


	3. Of Clinics, Evasions, and Apologies

Story Title: Touch of Destiny

Chapter Three: Of Clinics, Evasions, and Apologies

Chapter summery: The clinic is over loaded, House surprises Cameron and does something predictably 'House' before shocking someone special.

xXx

Disclaimer: Not mine, unless you don't recognize a character. Then it is mine, and you shouldn't take it.

AN: Hmmm. Not as many reviews as last time. Is it any good? Or is the general consensus stating that I need to give up?

xXx

The clinic was overloaded, as Chase and Foreman were quick to discover. They both clocked in and the nurse on duty gave them each a sympathetic grin and a stack of folders. "And this is just the beginning, Doctor." She said with a slight wince.

Chase sighed and set his stack of folders down. Picking up the top one, he read the name. "Dotty Myers?" He scanned the room and noticed an ancient looking woman stand up slowly. He grimaced inside and motioned for her to follow him.

Foreman grinned as Chase left and took the top folder from his own stack. "Freddy Ingles?" A little boy and his mother stood and headed towards him. Foreman smiled at the boy and shook the mom's hand. "I'm Dr. Foreman. If you would follow me please."

Once inside exam room 2, the mother took a seat in the swivel chair and wrung her hands nervously. The little boy, Freddy, froze at the door. Foreman noticed this and grinned at him. "C'mon, Freddy. Have a seat up here." He picked the boy up and set him down on the examination bed. "Now, let's have a look. Mrs. Ingles, what seems to be the problem with him?" Foreman took on a professional tone as he shone a light in the boy's ears.

"Nothing, I don't think. He just needs a physical and a…" She paused and her voice dropped to a stage whisper. "S-H-O-T." She spelled out with a fearful look at her son. He didn't seem to understand what his mom had spelled and was currently playing with a tongue depressor.

Foreman nodded. "I noticed from reading his file. I just wanted to make sure that there wasn't any other reason that he would be here." Turning back to Freddy, he grinned. "Okay, buddy. I need to check your reflexes." He held up the little triangular hammer. "See this? It let's me check how your reflexes are working. Take a look at this." He held Freddy's thigh and gently tapped the knee with the hammer. Freddy giggled when his leg jumped. Foreman repeated it with the other leg and put the hammer away, the little boy still giggling.

The rest of the physical was routine until the nurse walked in with Freddy's immunization. At seeing the tray with the syringes, Freddy gave a shriek that would put the Ringwraiths in Lord of the Rings to shame. "Noooooo!!!" He started to wiggle and squirm, trying to get off of the bed. His mom jumped up and held the squirming 5 year old. "NO, NO, NO, NO!!!!"

Foreman took the tray and readied the syringe. Setting it down on the tray again, he turned to the screaming boy. "Okay, Freddy. I want you to listen to me, okay?" The boy stopped squirming and nodded tearfully. "Have you ever had a cold?" The boy nodded. "Well, if you don't get this shot, then you will have a whole lot of colds, only this time, the colds will be much worse. You don't like sneezing and coughing, do you?" Freddy shook his head fervently. "Well without this shot, you'll have more than just sneezing and coughing. You'll get itchy spots all over, and you won't be able to play at home with your trucks and toys. You'll have to stay in bed all day until you get better."

The boy pulled a disgusted face then his eyes widened. "Will the shot hurt?"

Foreman shrugged. "It might. But your mom is right there, and I'm right here. And let me tell you a little secret." He dropped his voice to a mock whisper. "I hate shots too."

"Really?"

"Really really. Now how about it, trouper?"

"Okay." He bravely held out his arm and closed his eyes tightly.

Foreman wiped the arm with an alcohol swab and stuck the needle into the little vein. Freddy jumped and winced, but kept his eyes shut. Foreman took the needle out and stuck a Band-Aid on the spot. "There! All done."

"Really?"

"Scouts honor." He picked Freddy up and set him down on the ground. "You're all done, buddy."

"Thank you, Dr. Foreman." The mother gave him a grateful smile and led her son out of the room and down the hall.

xXx

Meanwhile, in exam room 5, Chase was trying not to run out of the room screaming. The old woman, it turned out, was a hypochondriac, and insisted that she was dying of some rare disease. When he tried to convince her that in order to contract the disease, she would have had to visit Scandinavia because the disease couldn't be contracted anywhere else. She would have nothing to do with his explanation and insisted that she be tested.

With a resigned sigh, he drew some blood and told her to stay put. Walking down to the lab, he handed it to the nurse on duty. "Just run random tests on it. The old woman is convinced that she's contracted some rare Scandinavian disease."

The nurse grinned and motioned for him to take a seat. "It shouldn't take too long, Dr. Chase."

He nodded and leaned his head back to take a short nap. Not 10 minutes later, the nurse was nudging him. "What, huh?"

The nurse grinned at a flustered Chase and handed him the results. "She doesn't have a rare Scandinavian disease, but she does have diabetes."

He pursed his lips. "Really. That's interesting." He took the results and headed out back to the exam room.

"Finally!" The old lady huffed as Chase re-entered the room. He just raised an eyebrow and stuck the results in to her file.

"You don't have a rare Scandinavian disease. You are a diabetic." He said simply, trying to hide his aggravation.

"I know that!" The woman exclaimed indignantly. "This is something more, I'm sure of it."

"The lab work was clean." Chase said tiredly. "Have a good day, Mrs. Myers." He practically shoved her out of the room and collapsed into a chair. It was going to be a long day.

xXx

Cameron had ended up crying herself back to sleep, and when she awoke, she had an enormous headache. As she lay in bed trying to will the headache away, she suddenly realized that she was hungry. Pushing the button to sit up, something caught her eye before she could push the call button for the nurse. Upon closer inspection, she realized it was a bowl of something and a note. With a confused look, she picked up the note and opened it. She read it silently, her lips moving as she read, a smile forming the further down the note she read.

_Dr. Gregory House._

_Patient: Dr. Allison Cameron_

_Prescription: Eat the soup, it's good for you._

_Comments: Why yes, I have a few comments. Allison Cameron, you need to get well soon because the diagnostic's staff are lonely without you, not to mention that your boss doesn't want to have Chase's coffee. It's nasty!_

_Signed: Dr. Gregory House, M.D._

_PS: Open the bag beside your bed AFTER you eat. If the soup is cold, have a nurse nuke it for you._

_PPS: I will know if you open it BEFORE you eat. I have eyes everywhere, Cameron._

She looked down at the side of her bed, and sure enough, there was the bag. She resisted opening the bag first and instead picked up the soup. It wasn't cold, but it sure wasn't hot any more. She decided against nuking it and tasted it instead. "Vegetable Barley. Not bad." She mused, touched by House's thoughtfulness.

It didn't take long for her to polish off the soup and soon she was holding the bag in her lap. Two emotions were racing through her; the most prominent was fear as to what the bag held. However, curiosity soon one her over and she slowly opened the bag. As she peered in, she burst out laughing.

She pulled out the stuffed pig with a tiny t-shirt that read "I ♥ PPHT." House had somehow secured a candy cane to the pig's right 'hoof' and had secured the whole animal to a toy motorcycle that was much too small for the animal. A note was tied to the handle bars of the bike.

_Look! They had a fairly accurate depiction of me in the gift store, and naturally, I thought of you. You still have that obsession with canes, motorcycles, and pigs, don't you?_

_-House_

Cameron chuckled and looked at the animal again. "You certainly are a pig, I'll give you that much." She grinned and propped the motorcycle-riding pig against the lamp on the bedside table.

Her nurse, Suzy, chose that moment to check up on her patient. "Hello dear."

"Hello, Suzy." Cameron still had traces of laughter in her voice and Suzy picked up on it.

"What has gotten you into such a good mood?" She asked curiously, her hands on her hips.

Cameron shrugged nonchalantly. "Oh nothing, just a gift from my boss." She held up the pig.

"Oh, that is just too funny." The nurse smiled and took the pig. "It fits him perfectly." She laughed with Cameron and handed it back. "Do you need anything dear?"

"No, I'm good." Cameron smiled. "Though if I could have my cell phone and charger, that would be nice. All my stuff is in the Diagnostics Department."

"I'll have all your 'stuff' from the Diagnostics Department sent up right away. Now don't you worry about anything, Dr. Cameron." Suzy exited the room as rapidly as she had entered. A couple of minutes later, she stuck her head in the door. "Someone is on their way right now."

"Thank you, Suzy." She smiled and the nurse was gone once more. She looked at the pig in her hand and cracked up again. "Oh, House, you really have outdone yourself this time."

She had just settled back against the pillows when a knock sounded at the door. But before she could say 'come in' the door swung open, revealing the most exasperating man she had ever met.

xXx

Once his task was complete, House headed back to his department to eat his lunch in peace. Plopping down at his desk, he gingerly opened his sandwich and scowled. "Damn pickles." He proceeded to pick out the green disks with a pair of tweezers and dumped them into the trash can. Taking his iPod out of the secret spot in his drawer, he plugged his ears with the ear buds and turned it on. With his iPod blaring The Rolling Stones and his now un-pickled Rueben in hand, he leaned back in his chair and took a huge bite out of his sandwich.

The phone rang suddenly, and he scowled at the obnoxious box before ripping out his headphones and answering the phone. "Not interested."

"Clever, Greg." Wilson's wry tone flooded over the line and House grimaced.

"What do you want, Jimmy?" He snapped.

"To talk."

"So talk."

"I am."

"Wow, is that what it's called now?" House snarked. "Back in my day…"

"Okay, House, I get it."

"So what is the point of this call, Jimmy boy?"

He could hear Wilson sigh on the other end of the line. "I wanted to talk to you about Cameron."

"She's fine. Anything else?"

"House, stop evading."

"I am NOT evading. I am telling."

"Her getting shot wasn't your fault."

_Click._

House had hung up the phone. 10 seconds later, it rang again.

"House, that wasn't nice."

"I'm not nice."

"And I was being serious."

House gasped in mock horror. "You? Serious? No way! Contact the national news station!"

"About Cameron. It wasn't…"

"Bye Jimmy." House yelled into the phone before slamming it down once again. Almost immediately, the phone rang again.

"No, Jimmy, I will not discuss this with you."

There was silence before a voice that most defiantly wasn't Wilson came across the line. "Hello to you too, Dr. House. I have a request here from Dr. Cameron. It seems as if she has left her bag and other necessities in your office. Would you care to send it up?" The nurse on the other end sounded amused.

"Fine, whatever. It'll get there." House grated out, annoyed. He slammed the phone down again and buried his face in his hands.

"House…" A voice from the doorway resulted in a large tennis ball flying through the air.

"What, so annoying me on the phone isn't enough? Now you have to stalk me in my office?" House snarked, standing up and gathering Cameron's belongings together, annoyed at the timing Wilson's arrival.

Wilson just caught the ball and tossed it onto the ground. "Well, you know how it is. I haven't gotten my daily dose of insults from you yet."

_It's time to visit Cameron again, I believe._ He thought to himself, finishing his sandwich and chucking the wrapper in the trash can.

"Bye, Jimmy!" He slung the strap to Cameron's bag over his shoulder, grabbed his cane and began the trek to room 212, leaving Wilson standing in his office, just staring at the desk that House had just vacated, shaking his head.

He came to a stop at the door to Cameron's room. With a deep breath, he took his cane, and knocked on the door three times before opening it. He found himself locking eyes with the woman inside. "Hey."

"Hey yourself." She replied softly.

"So…" He nodded towards the pig in her hand. "I see you got a gift."

"Yeah. I did." She smirked and set the pig on the table. "Out of all the gifts I've received in my life, this one has got to be the most creative gift anyone has ever given me."

He decided to play along with her game. "Oh really?" He sat down on the chair and bounced his cane on the ground. "So who was the giver of the pig?"

"Oh, a friend." She emphasized friend with a bit of sarcasm and looked away.

"Really." He said shortly, her sarcasm ringing clear in his mind, instantly bringing up his defenses. "Some friend you got there."

"Yeah, he really is." She said in her soft tone, all signs of sarcasm gone. "He's a great guy, despite what others think of him."

Their eyes met again, and House found he couldn't look away. "Really." He said again, this time without the venom from before.

"Really."

This time when she reached out, he hesitated before taking her hand in his. "I…I'm sorry." He whispered finally, ashamed at the hoarseness of his voice.

"For what?" She seemed genuinely confused.

"For..." He closed his eyes and looked away. "For getting you shot."

"House, it wasn't your fault." Her incredulous tone brought his eyes back to hers.

"How can you say that? If it wasn't for me being such a bastard…"

She held up a hand. "Wait, wait, wait. House, you didn't shoot me. That jerk-off did. If he was mad at you, that his fucking problem!" Anger flashed in her eyes as she spoke, her voice climbing in volume. "Believe me, if it was your fault, I'd let you know."

"Cameron, shh. Don't yell" House winced, not wanting to bring any unwanted visitors into her room.

"Don't yell?" She dropped her volume, but kept the harshness of her tone. "Don't tell me not to yell, House, when I'm sure that's all you've been doing to yourself the past few hours. Is that what you've been doing? Blaming yourself for the accident? He wouldn't have shot me if I hadn't raised my hand when he asked if one of us was you. I don't want you to be anything other than the sardonic bastard you are, because if you weren't, I'd be worried."

House just sat through her admonishing him and at the end of her tirade leaned over a kissed her cheek. "Thank-you."

She looked stunned from both the kiss and the gratitude. "You're welcome?"

"For not hating me." He clarified with a half grin. "Don't worry, it won't happen again." His pager suddenly went off and both of them frowned. "It's Cuddy. We probably have a case. Oh, I brought your bag down."

"Oh. Thanks." A small frown creased in her forehead.

"You're welcome, and no." House shook his finger at her. "You are not going to even think about leaving this bed for at least another two days. If we need your opinion, I will call you. You now have your pager and your cell phone, as well as your laptop. I can get a hold of you very easily."

She slumped down and sighed. "Okay."

He patted her shoulder awkwardly. "I know you hate feeling useless. Don't worry, I'll call you and we'll put you on speaker so you can hear all of us."

"Thanks."

He could hear the gratefulness in her voice and it made him feel a bit strange inside. "I'll, uh, see you later then."

"Okay. Oh, and thanks for the soup, House."

"You're welcome. Now get some rest. I want my immunologist back soon." He stood and walked to the door. "Nighty night, Dr. Cameron." He teased in a childish voice.

"Nighty night? Its only noon."

"I know." And with that, he was gone.

xXx

AN: Woot! And here ends chapter three. How do you guys like the story? Reviews are a must have! House is a little more OOC again. Hmm…sorry!


	4. When the Mood Strikes, Go for it

Story Title: Touch of Destiny

Chapter Four: When the Mood Strikes, Go For it

Chapter summery: Boredom is never fun, especially when one is accustomed to being constantly busy.

xXx

Disclaimer: Not mine, unless you don't recognize a character. Then it is mine, and you shouldn't take it.

AN: Thank you to all my wonderful reviewers! I apologize both for not updating sooner as well as for not responding to each review personally. My school has blocked so I am only able to check it once a week at a little café down the street and last week I was rushed to check some stories before going to practice for a huge band concert this past weekend. Lots of high school band students came up to the college for Music Fest. It was fun! But because of this, I was unable to finish this chapter.

So think of this as your personal response to each of your marvelous reviews: Thanks for the support and thanks for your patience! It really means a lot to me when people want me to continue a story. And if ANY of the characters are too OOC, let me know and I'll fix it. I'm trying to keep them in character as best as I can. Anywhoo, here's chapter 4!

xXx

Two days later, Chase and Foreman were beginning to feel the pressure of not having Cameron around. So far, the cases that Cuddy had presented them with ended up being complete flukes. They were lounging around the table in the department doing crossword puzzles and staring at the wall or ceiling; the only sound in the room was the ticking of the clock.

"Hello all." The other two doctors jumped as House burst into the room suddenly. He quickly scribbled some instructions on the board, turning it to block what he was writing from the other's view. "I have a job for you all to do. I'm going to be somewhere else in the hospital. Page me if you have a problem." House turned the board around and walked back out of the room.

Both Foreman and Chase just blinked rapidly, before shaking their heads and turning towards the board, reading it carefully. Both of them just ended up confused.

"What exactly does House want us to do?" Chase stood there, his hands shoved into the pockets of his lab coat, staring at the diagnostic board with a bewildered look on his face.

Foreman was just as confused as Chase. "Well, it's obvious he wants us to…do…something."

Chase rolled his eyes. "Duh. WHAT does he want us to do?"

Foreman looked around and frowned. "What he wrote on the board?"

"Very good, Foreman. You can read just as well as I can." Chase sighed, annoyed. "Number one: 'clean the department.'"

"Number two: 'decorate.' Decorate for what?"

"Number three: 'buy food'?" Chase shook his head. "What is House's problem?"

"A number of things. What did he do this time?" Wilson had walked into the office in time to hear Chase's question.

"This." He pointed at the board.

"A…list." Wilson blinked and furrowed his brow. "I can see how this would cause such confusion and turmoil in here."

"Oh, shut up." Chase snapped.

"So what does he want us to do? Decorate?" Foreman was still confused. "Decorate for what?"

"Cameron." Wilson said simply. "He likes her."

"No, he thinks she's hot. A piece of lobby art, I believe was the term used." Foreman corrected. "He has no feelings for her at all." The last part was dripping with sarcasm.

"And I can tell by the last sentence that you believe that as much as I do." Wilson tucked his hands into his pant's pockets. "Which is not at all. Read number four."

"Number four." Foreman continued. "'Dress up. Make Cameron laugh.' What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

"What makes her laugh?" Wilson shrugged. "I'm leaving now, have fun! Oh, and make sure you're done before he gets back."

"When does he come back?" Chase looked at the board again. "All it says is that we need to be done when both the little and big hands touch the number that cancels itself out."

"10 o'clock." Wilson grinned. "1 and 0 cancel each other out when they are multiplied together. I'll be back by ten. Bye." He left the room, whistling to himself.

Foreman and Chase just exchanged annoyed glances before moving to prepare for House's next outrageous idea. "I'll get the food." Chase rolled his eyes.

Foreman nodded. "And I'll find some outfits for us. This will be fun. Do you think Wal-Mart still has costumes?"

Chase just laughed as he left the room with Foreman close behind. They had a party to plan for their co-worker.

xXx

Allison Cameron was bored. Very bored. More bored that when the diagnostic department doesn't have a case.

And bored didn't even scratch the surface of what she was really feeling. What she was starting to experience now was much stronger than simple boredom. It had now progressed into cabin fever mixed with the almost uncontrollable desire to throw herself from the third story window. She had only settled on her window because the nurses wouldn't let her out of the room so she could go to the roof.

She had caught up on anything and everything on her computer, House hadn't needed her for any diagnosis, and whenever Chase and Foreman came to visit they were always paged away after five minutes by House. And what had confused her the most was the fact that a few minutes after Chase or Foreman left, House would show up with something random for her to do.

_The previous day, around ten_

Cameron looked up with a confused expression as House lumbered into the room. He handed her a sheet of paper and asked her opinion. At further inspection, and with a short burst of laughter, she noticed that it was a list of 'how to bother the male ducklings while Cameron is gone.'

"'Number one.'" She read out loud, laughter lacing through her voice. "'Tie Foreman's shoes together.' How are you planning to do that?"

"I have my ideas." House snorted indignantly. "Hand it back if you're going to make fun of me."

"Nope, not a chance." She grinned and kept reading. "'Staple Chase and Foreman together by their lab coats. Take the ink out of Chase's pen and hide his crossword book. Flip coins at them during the diagnosis. Stick their pens and pencils into the ceiling. Trip anyone who walks by with my cane. Hit the walls with the tennis ball. Turn the volume up all the way on my TV and watch General Hospital. Turn the volume up all the way on my speakers and blare The Who and The Rolling Stones through the diagnostic's wing.'" Cameron shook her head and laughed before asking for a pen. He handed her one skeptically and when she was done, she handed the list back to him.

"'Switch their name tags on their lab coats.' Nice. 'Use Cameron's name tag and insist that I am her.'" He gave her a sour look and she grinned. He stuck his tongue at her instead and kept reading. "'Speak in Pig Latin for a solid hour. Use the magic 8 ball for the diagnosis. Use a British accent to mock Chase.' I do that already!" He shook his head, reading the last one she had added. "I'll be back in a couple of hours." House smirked and mock saluted her as he limped out of the room.

_Four hours later:_

"Ahoy, matey, I come baring stories." House flung the door open only to see an empty room. He looked around and rose one eyebrow. "Now where can she be?" House muttered. He heard a flush and turned toward the bathroom door. "Bingo."

"House." Cameron looked and sounded tired as she slowly made her way back to the bed. "How did it go?"

"Are you okay?" He ignored her question and focused his intense stare on her face.

She nodded. "I'm fine. I'm just a little worn out." She laid her head back on the pillow and smiled. "How did torturing Chase and Foreman go?"

"Like clockwork.' House looked smug as he sat down and leaned back in the chair. "I walked in and they, true to form, said 'good morning, Dr. House.' I stared at them and they just stared back. I tried to appear close to tears and choked out, 'My name is Dr. Cameron.' It worked. They both looked confused and Foreman decided to state the obvious. "House, Cameron's not here.' I, of course, looked confused and started to cry. 'But I AM Cameron!' It was perfect."

Cameron burst out laughing. "And they bought that. Is that it?"

"Oh no, there is so much more." House grinned with a little boy face. "For some reason, they removed their lab coats. Something about them needing to be sterilized." An innocent look crossed his face. Cameron just rolled her eyes. "When they got them back, it took them 15 minutes of wondering why their respective coats had suddenly stopped fitting to figure out that their name tags had actually been switched."

His companion snorted, she was laughing so hard. "Please, continue." She gasped, ignoring the pain she was feeling from laughing.

He wrinkled his nose and made a face at her before continuing. "The magic 8 ball was right 8 times out of 10. I was impressed, but Foreman went to Cuddy and whined, so now my Magic 8 ball has been banned from performing a diagnosis. I learned that my British accent is flawless and that my aim is perfect. The ceiling is littered with pens and pencils. Neither of them speak Pig Latin, Chase hates quarters, Foreman hates dimes. Neither of them like the Rolling Stones or The Who, and they both hate General Hospital."

Cameron wiped her eyes. "Oh, god this is great. I'm picturing this and I wish I had been there."

"Oh, there's more. I sent them to do lab work and as they left the room, Foreman fell over, pulling Chase with him. They had the funniest looks on their faces, staring up at me from the ground, like they had no idea why they were stapled together, or why their shoes were tied together."

House's pager beeped, causing them both to jump. House rolled his eyes to the ceiling and winced. "Gotta run." He widened his eyes slightly and raised his eyebrows as he turned his gaze back to her. "Looks like Chase and Foreman finally figured out what was wrong with the patient." He stood up and paused at the door. "I'll come see you later." With that, he was gone.

_5:30 that evening, still previous day_

"I have a job for you." House came barging into her room unannounced. She looked up hopefully and was stunned to see him throw his PSP onto the bed. "Here. I need you to test a game for me before I play it. And I don't want it back until you've beaten the game."

Before she could say anything, he left, leaving a confused Cameron in his wake. She stared at the closed door and then down at the PSP. A smile started to form as she realized the significance in what he had done. House never lent his video games to anyone…ANYONE…unless he was trying to kill time with a patient, but never to her or any of the other 'house-keteers' before. She took the game cartridge out and smirked. _Super Mario?_

She shook her head and turned on the gaming device, grinning at the pinging noises it started to make. Soon, she was engrossed in the smashing of turtles and walking mushrooms as well as the stomping on of glowing axes to make miniature Bowsers fall to fiery pits of lava.

She had no way of knowing that House had waited right outside her door to see if she really would play the game. When he turned from the door, a small grin slowly spread on his face before he sauntered down the hall, whistling as he strutted as best he could. The world was alright in his eyes. Good things were finally starting to look his way.

_We now return to the present…_

She picked up the PSP, but didn't turn it back on. She had already beaten all 8 worlds and had no intention to try again. She leaned back with an agonized groan and closed her eyes. Her neck didn't hurt any more, and her side only hurt if she laughed as much as she did yesterday. She just wanted to get out of bed and move. The door opened and she didn't even open her eyes to acknowledge the visitor. "I want out, Suzy."

"I'm not sure how you see me as Suzy, but I do understand about you wanting to get out." A deep voice caused her eyes to fly open. "Something about you wanting access to the roof?" House stood in the doorway of her room, a smirk on his face as he leaned against his cane.

"House!" She sat up again, flushing slightly at the realization that she had called her boss a girl in a roundabout way.

"Cameron!" He mocked, before taking pity and reaching behind him to display what he had brought.

"A wheelchair?" She asked incredulously, raising an eyebrow at him.

"Well, if you're going to react this way…" He started to push it out of the door. "…I'll just put this back where I found it."

"No, no, no! Wait." She pleaded before groaning at his self-satisfied smirk.

"What's the magic word, Dr. Cameron?" He teased.

"Give it. Now." She glared at him, trying to keep from smiling.

"I've taught you well." He smirked and wheeled the chair into the room, his cane hung on one of the handles. He sighed, annoyed, and waved at her. "C'mon. Get in." When she didn't move, he sighed. "Cameron, I can't exactly lift you out of the bed." He motioned to his leg. He nearly sighed in relief when she grunted and pulled herself carefully out of the bed.

"I want to change." She announced, putting her hands on her hips.

"So….change." House rolled his eyes around, giving her a confused look. "I'm not stopping you. Oh, I get it. You're _shy_." He emphasized _shy_ in a mocking tone before smirking again. "No worries, Dr. Cameron. I've seen it all before, though not with you." He paused, pretending to ponder the possibility. "That might be fun!"

Cameron just fixed him with her best 'drop dead House' glare she reserved for moments such as this and pulled out some scrubs from her bag. She turned around and changed quickly. Dirty thoughts were starting to form before he instantly pushed any twisted thoughts out of his mind about Cameron and stared at the ground. "You done yet?" He asked gruffly.

"Yes." She let herself drop carefully into the chair and settled back. "Drive on, oh fearless leader!"

"Where to, ma'am?" He snarked in a voice that much resembled Chase's before using his normal voice again. "I can go everywhere, as long as my trusty Vicodin is near by."

"The roof?" She said with a smirk.

"Mm, sorry, no can do. But I do have an alternative." And with that, House and his 'passenger' made their way to his secret destination, giving Suzy who was sitting at the desk a wink as he loaded Cameron into the elevator. With a ding and a click, the door closed and House punched a button. "Close your eyes."

"Huh?" Cameron was confused for a moment. "Why?"

"Because…" He drew out the word. "I have a surprise for you."

"Oh-kay?" She obliged and closed her eyes. "This better?"

"Much."

She knew he was smirking because of the tone he used and she grinned slightly. Soon, she felt the car come to a stop and House gripped the handles of the wheelchair once more.

"Okay, Dr. Cameron. Keep those blue-grey eyes shut tight. Wouldn't want to let in any light." He snarked as they rolled/limped down the hall.

As a few minutes passed with no sign of stopping, Cameron was starting to get annoyed. "House, I happen to enjoy seeing where I am going."

"Oh be patient, Cameron." House sounded amused to her, but she couldn't be certain. "We'll be there soon." She knew that they were headed down a hall, but she wasn't sure which floor. "Ah, here we are." She could hear a door open and some snickering before he whispered in her ear. "Open up."

When she opened her eyes, the first thing she saw was a banner that said "Welcome Back...Almost." Beneath the sign stood three of the closest friends she had. Chase was wearing a pair of Groucho Marx glasses while Foreman looked like he had stepped from a rapper magazine. Wilson, on the other hand, was dressed like House, cane, painted on stubble and all. Cameron burst out laughing when she caught sight of Wilson, placing a hand on her side when it began to hurt. "Since when did you like band shirts, Wilson? Or are you supposed to be House?"

He fake limped over to her. "Well, Dr. Cameron, I'd answer that, but I'm going to evade now and go and brood over my sad pathetic life while listening to my iPod." And with that, he limp/stalked over to House's desk and plopped down, putting on House's iPod and ignoring the group. They all started laughing except House, who plucked his cane from the handle bar of Cameron's wheelchair and smacked it down on the desk.

"Only I get to be me!" He growled as he snatched his iPod from Wilson's hand. "When I said dress up, I didn't mean as me! We're trying to make her feel _better_, not _worse_."

Cameron was still laughing. "Oh, no. I think that was the best one. He pulled the 'you' attitude off very well, I think."

"Oh really?" House said seriously, stalking back towards her. Leaning over her, he put his hands on the armrests of the chair. "No matter what, I am still the best House ever."

She just grinned, seemingly unaffected by his closeness. "That you are, House. And I pray that there is never another one of you. Now, where's the food?"

House just gaped at her before a small smirk twisted his mouth. "Nice." He whispered, a small grin of admiration forming before stepping back and motioning Wilson out of his chair so he could sit down.

"I took care of that." Chase spoke up, holding out a bowl of Cheez-It's as House stalked back to his desk.

"There'd better not be any coffee then." Cameron muttered before taking the bowl from Chase.

"Hey! I resent that!" Chase was indignant at the comment towards his coffee.

"No, you resemble that." Foreman and Cameron said in unison, laughing together.

"Ouch." Cameron winced and put a hand to her side again. "I guess I'm not as healed as I thought I was."

House looked up with concern. "Are you okay?" He asked with a frown.

"I'm fine, House." She gave him a look. "I just need to be careful about how much I laugh."

He didn't seem convinced, but nodded. His gaze followed her for the rest of the party. She was unconcerned by the fact, but it didn't go unnoticed by Wilson, Foreman, or Chase. With raised eyebrows, they all silently agreed to talk later.

xXx

House decided to take Cameron back to her room when he realized that she had fallen asleep in her chair. Even with the noise of the hall and the pings of the elevator, she still didn't stir. He limped down the hall, keeping his eyes focused on anything other than the people who were watching him curiously. As he arrived back at room 212, he grimaced when he saw the frantic nurse standing in the room. He waved off the nurse, (where was Suzy?), and popped a vicodin before bending down and picking her up out of the chair. With a grimace of pain, he set her down in the bed carefully and pulled the blanket over her sleeping form. His face twisted into his intense thinking expression before he slowly limped out of the room and down the hall.

He returned a couple of minutes later, a single flower in his hand. He had ignored the stares once more and had managed to avoid Wilson as he snuck the flower from a bouquet for a patient. Not very ethical, he knew, but since when was he ethical? He tossed the flower down on the table before slowly gimping out of the room and down the hall, already feeling like he shouldn't have given her the flower. His thoughts to a certain immunologist that had turned his world -and his mind- upside down and he winced. There was no way this was going to end well.

xXx

AN: So, any good? I'm not sure that I'm too happy with this chapter. Hmmm….. Oh well.


	5. Arguments and Freedom

Story Title: Touch of Destiny

Chapter Five: Arguments and Freedom

Chapter summery: Cuddy is frustrated, Cameron is bitchy, and House is amused.

xXx

Disclaimer: Not mine, unless you don't recognize a character. Then it is mine, and you shouldn't take it.

AN: Oh booya, I totally just realized that I could respond to reviews this way. Heehee! So here goes:

Love Of My Life: Glad you liked it!

xxBuffyfreakxx: I'm glad you liked the fluff! It wasn't too fluffy, was it?

Ehcanadian: Yes, I realize that Super Mario isn't for PSP, but I didn't notice if he had a GameBoy and Mario is my favorite game. Forgive me! And yes, I play in band. I'm a flute player, even though my director says that with my personality, I should be brass. Haha! As for what you said for chapter three, thanks! I've been really worried about how I'm portraying House and if it was really accurate or not. It is accurate, isn't it? For OOC that is.

This-Family-Affair: Thanks!

ZivaJade: Cheez-It's are little squares of cheese crackers. They aren't exactly healthy for you, but they taste good.

Poeticpunk777: Well, we both know that it will end well!

Wolf.at.Heart: Thanks! I'm glad the world is good. And I'm glad that you like the story. And I'm REALLY glad that my spelling and grammar are improving! Haha!

Calleigh Caine: I'm glad you love it!

jamy21: lol! That is all I have to say. I'm glad you like the chapter!

Now, on with the story!

xXx

Emotions were running wild at the Princeton Plainsboro Teaching Hospital and Lisa Cuddy wasn't immune to it. She was currently on the phone with a detective who was on the case to find the man who shot Cameron. And, from what House could hear through both sets of doors, was having no luck in the search.

"Do you have any idea how this affects my hospital?" Cuddy yelled into the phone, looking up as House entered the room cautiously. "Hold on, please." She said to the person on the other line and glared at House, annoyed. "What do you want?"

"Heard Cameron was going to be released today."

Cuddy rolled her eyes. "You don't waste any time." She paused before giving him an 'I'm being patient' look and spoke to him in a patronizing tone. "And no, you cannot take her home with you." She moved the phone back to her ear but jumped when House slammed his cane on her desk, effectively grabbing her attention once more.

His eyes as well as his tone took on a slight begging. "I need to be the one to tell her she can go home. Please."

Cuddy's eyebrows shot to her hairline. House rarely said please and never begged. "Fine. Go." She watched as he nodded and left the room, slamming the door behind him.

She rolled her eyes, absentmindedly hoping that someday they wouldn't stick like that from working with House for so long, and continued talking to the detective on the other line. "I'm sorry about that. As I was saying, if you don't find the man who shot one of MY doctors, then that lets other people who are annoyed with any of my doctors know that they can come into MY hospital and shoot said doctors! "

_Pause._

"Yes, I realize that it is almost impossible, but let me tell you that you need to find a way to MAKE it possible!" Cuddy demanded with an astonished annoyed look on her face.

_Pause._

"Her name? Dr. Allison Cameron." She sighed, rubbing her forehead with her hand.

_Pause._

She rolled her eyes skyward in annoyance. "Yes, she was the one shot."

_Pause._

"Yes she works for Greg House."

_Pause._

She took on a disbelieving tone. "A-L-L-I-S-O-N-C-A-M-E-R-O-N."

_Pause._

"Yes, she's a she!" Cuddy nearly yelled.

_Pause._

"No, she isn't de…what!?! Look, just because…"

_Pause._

"She's not dead, no." Her voice took on a defensive tone.

_Pause._

"Look, just because she isn't dead doesn't mean…" She could feel herself getting more and more frustrated with the detective on the other line.

_Pause._

Cuddy exploded. "Fine! See if I allow a doctor to save YOU the next time you have a problem and come to my hospital!!"

With that, Cuddy slammed the phone down. She buried her face in her hands with a groan. She wasn't one step closer to finding the shooter and that meant her hospital was still in some form of danger.

xXx

The sour mood was apparently seeping through the hospital, because even though Cameron had no idea what was transgressing down in Cuddy's office, her mood seemed to match the Dean of Medicine's. And all anyone on the floor knew was that sweet Allison was currently in a VERY bitchy mood. She had resorted to biting the head off of anyone who so much as said hi, let alone whoever made the mistake of asking her how she was doing.

House had just been taking it in stride as well as did Suzy, but any one who didn't have to be in her room avoided it like the plague. Truth be told, House was actually pleased that his only female fellow was acting anal and bitchy to everyone. It showed that she was capable of more than sunshine and joy, that she was capable of acting human.

So when he entered the room and she yelled at him to leave her alone, he ignored her, sat down and just watched her. She, in turn, had faced away from him, her face contorted with fury. A few minutes passed before he saw her unclench and turn slowly back towards him. "Sorry, House."

"Hmm." House grunted. "Are you done being mad at me?"

She sighed heavily. "I just want out of here. I'm sorry. I had no right to yell at you."

"Nope, you didn't." He agreed. "But, even though I shouldn't, I'm going to do something _nice_ for you." He shuddered playfully before smirking. "You, my dear Cameron, are going to be escorted to a new location."

Cameron just stared at him. "And this would be considered nice…how? The only action that I would consider nice would be to…"

"Just get in the chair." He interrupted her, and motioned to the wheelchair in her room. "You talk too much."

She sighed resignedly and dragged herself out of the bed and into the chair. She had never changed from the previous day so she was still dressed in her scrubs. "Where are we going?"

"Ah, now that would be telling." She could hear the mischievousness in his voice and she rolled her eyes heavenward, hoping that she could refrain from turning around and strangling him.

They rolled past the nurses' station and into the elevator. The elevator took them to ground level and House sauntered out of the elevator and past the reception desk. "House, what…?"

"Shush." He ordered, pushing the chair outside. "There. You're free." He moved to stand in front of her.

"House, is this a joke?" She asked incredulously, giving him one of those 'looks'.

"Nope. You've just been released and I was elected to be the one to tell you." He sounded put out, but Cameron knew better, that is if the past four days were any indication of how he _really_ felt about her. He, on the other hand, wasn't about to let her know that he manipulated Cuddy to let him be the one to present her with her freedom. Well, he more like begged Cuddy into letting him, but who was to know? "Go ahead, stand. I won't tell anyone." He covered his eyes with his left hand and peaked through the fingers. "You're not standing."

"You're mocking me." Cameron was staring at him incredulously. "I won't be made fun of, House."

He removed his hand from his face and frowned down at her. "I'm not making fun of you. Believe me; you'd know if I were." He reached down and grasped her hands, giving her a tug. "You can stand. It's allowed."

She just stared at him unblinking, still sitting. "So this isn't a joke?"

"For the hundredth time, it is not a joke!" House rolled his eyes skyward in annoyance. He was startled by a slight squeeze on his hands as she stood. He realized that he was still holding on to her and quickly released her hands. He missed the flash of disappointment in her eyes as he turned away. "You're free. Go, be merry and happy."

"I want to go to work." Cameron stated firmly, turning around to head back into the hospital. House spun around and grabbed her arm before she could leave.

"Uh, uh." He shook his head. "You can come back to work tomorrow. Today, you are only going back inside to retrieve your belongings and change into normal clothing. You are then going to make your way _home_. No arguments." He used his cane as a pointer to point to the different directions before pointing it back towards the inside. "I will go with you to insure that you get your crap and leave."

"For godssake, House, I'm not five." Cameron gritted through her clenched teeth as they walked back into the hospital. "I think I can handle changing and leaving."

"But…" They entered the elevator and faced the doors. "…you won't leave unless I make sure you do." He tilted his head sideways and smirked at her glare. "I know you too well, Cameron." He said smugly. She just huffed and clenched up, making him grin. She glanced at him and gave him a small smile at seeing his grin. He instantly changed his expression to one of gruff annoyance and was relieved to see the doors open. "After you, Dr. Cameron."

xXx

House had indeed seen to it that Cameron was safely out of the hospital and on her way home before returning to work. He found himself ushered into the clinic by Cuddy who had seen him trying to escape into the elevator. With a grimace, he took the file she flung at him and limped into exam room three.

"Hi, I'm Dr. House." He stared at the child in the arms of the young girl. "You're a little young to be having children."

"She's my little sister." The girl holding the baby clarified. "She started coughing and sneezing. My mom died a few weeks ago from complications to the birth and my dad drinks himself to oblivion every night, so here I am raising my baby sister." The girl's tone sounded a little bitter.

House could tell from how both girls looked that the story was at least partially true and he sighed. Here came the part of the job he hated the worst. "Here's a prescription for some cough medicine for babies. However, your sister needs to be vaccinated. I'll need you to wait here. A nurse will be in shortly to give her her vaccinations."

House limped out of the room and down the hall, pausing at Cuddy's door. Bracing himself for the worst, he barged into the office.

Inside, Cuddy was with a detective and was currently in an argument with him. Both glared at him as House paused and cocked his head to the side a bit. "Am I interrupting something?"

"Yes, House. But it's not like you care." Cuddy sighed. "What do you need?"

House didn't respond. Instead, he stared at the detective there with a slight glare. "Detective Tritter. How nice of you to stop by again. What have I done this time?"

Tritter just smiled politely at him. "I'm here for the investigation."

House shook his head slightly and turned back to Cuddy. "Right. Cuddy, exam room three. A young girl, she's probably 10 or so, brought in her baby sister who has developed pneumonia."

"Obviously she has something more if you've taken an interest in her." Cuddy said sarcastically.

House just glared at her. "I do have feelings you know. Apparently, her mother died giving birth and her father is a drunken bastard who can't seem to focus on his children." He looked over at Tritter. "One of you can probably do something about that. I have five more patients to see before I clock out and make sure that Cameron got home safely."

Tritter stood up. "Dr. Cameron went home?"

Both Cuddy and House nodded. "About two hours ago." House added. "I made sure she got in her car and left. You'd better find out who shot her before someone comes in and decides to shoot Foreman because he's black and Chase because he's a suck-up of a wombat. Someone has already shot me, so we're covered in that area."

Tritter frowned. "I wanted to talk to her." He muttered before turning his gaze to House. "Don't worry Dr. House; we are working on figuring this out." His tone had taken on a _don't mess with me again, House._

Cuddy winced and quickly moved forward. "I'll make sure social services come to pick up the two girls. Exam room three?" When he nodded, she wrote it down. "Okay. Bye, House. Go see Cameron. One more patient and then one of the other doctors can take care of the rest of your patients."

"Toodle-loo. Have fun solving the sniper mystery." House waved at the pair and stalked back down the hall to see his 'one more patient.'

"Why do you keep him around?" Tritter turned to Cuddy.

She sighed. "Because he's the best damn doctor in the whole damn hospital. And believe it or not, he really does care about his fellows."

"I can see that." Tritter muttered. "Is Dr. Cameron his new interest?"

"I don't know. I honestly don't care who his interests are until they start interrupting his work." Cuddy said firmly. "Now if you don't mind, let's find the shooter please."

xXx

Cameron wiped her brow with a towel as she stepped off her treadmill. It felt good to finally be able to exercise and do something other than lying in a bed all day. She walked into her kitchen and filled a glass with ice and water. She felt more tired than usual due to the inactivity from the past four days and took a long drink from the glass. Her neck was still a little bit sore, and her side was screaming at her, but all in all the exercise was well worth the pain.

She set the glass in the sink and threw the towel into the laundry room as she walked to the bedroom. The sound of wood knocking on wood halted her movements. She furrowed her brow and walked back to the living room. Another knock sounded before she opened the door revealing House on the other side. "Why are you here, House?" She felt a strange feeling of déjà vu as she stood there.

He let the cane slide back down to its resting place and took in her attire before staring at the air beside her head instead of into her eyes. "Aren't you going to invite me inside?" He asked, avoiding her face.

"Not until I know why you're here." She said firmly, crossing her arms across her chest.

House winced, looked down, and motioned to her crossed arms. "Cameron, when you clench, I clench. Remember? Don't clench, we're not at work."

Cameron sighed and moved her hands so that one was planted on her hip and the other on the door instead, the feeling of déjà vu stronger than before. "What do you want?"

"To come in, first off." House finally met her eyes.

_And now it's unfamiliar territory, thank goodness._ She stared at him incredulously before nodding and moving so he could come in. "Okay."

He pushed past her and stood in the middle of the room, watching her as she closed the door. "I'm assuming that you just got off your treadmill."

"Wow, you are amazing." She said sarcastically. "What tipped you off? The sweat dripping off my forehead, or the stench that usually accompanies working out? Or maybe even what I'm wearing. I'm amazed at your genius."

House smirked admiringly at her. "Why, Dr. Cameron. It would appear that I'm rubbing off on you."

"Or…" She drew the word out as she turned and walked over to the kitchen. "Maybe I've always been this way and I'm starting to come out of my shell. Do you want something to drink?"

"Or there's that." He said quietly, his eyes on her figure. "Water is fine." He said so she could hear him, figuring she wouldn't have scotch here in her apartment.

Cameron nodded and filled a glass, handing it to him when she re-entered the living room. She sat down in her chair and looked up at him. He moved to the couch and plopped down, bouncing his cane. She watched him expectantly, waiting for him to speak.

"So I see you made it home alright." He said suddenly, staring at his cane, all sarcasm surprisingly gone from his voice.

"Is that why you came? To make sure I made it home?" Her tone had turned incredulous.

"Is that a problem?" He sounded defensive.

She shrugged. "I guess not."

"Right." He nodded. "Well, I'll see you at work tomorrow." He stood up and handed her the glass, stalking towards the door.

She just stayed where she was and watched as he left without looking back at her. She smiled softly, and took a drink from his glass before realizing what she was doing. With a shrug, she finished the water and set the empty glass on the table beside the chair. She clicked on her stereo and picked up her book and her reading glasses. With a sigh, she settled down to read another chapter before she went to take a shower. Tomorrow, she was finally going to be productive.

xXx

House paused outside her door before slowly limping down the hall and down the stairs, wincing with every step. He stood beside his bike, staring into space. He was brought back down to earth when he heard her music through the slightly open window. He grabbed his leg and swung it over the bike, settling himself on the cold seat. He mentally berated himself as he stared at the handlebars. _What were you thinking, Greg? You can't have a normal conversation with anyone, let alone someone like Allison Cameron. Oh, what the hell. I tried, and I'm going to keep trying until I succeed, damn it!_

Pulling on his gloves and his helmet, he frowned and sighed. With a final glance up at her window, he revved the engine and took off down the street. Tomorrow was another day for avoiding both emotions and human life in general as well as figuring out another piece of the puzzle that was Allison Cameron. More importantly, however, tomorrow was another day for avoiding both Cuddy and Wilson. The last thing he wanted - or needed - was Cuddy screeching at him to go to the clinic and Wilson psychoanalyzing everything House did. He had enough of himself psychoanalyzing everything he did. He didn't need someone else telling him that he was screwing up his life or that he was miserable. He already knew that. Maybe that was what was holding him back from Cameron, he realized suddenly. He didn't want to add her to the list of 'people to avoid.'

AN: R & R, s'il vous plait!


	6. Of Work and of Play

Story Title: Touch of Destiny

Chapter Six: Of Work and Monsters

Chapter summery: Cameron returns to work. Will House return to normal or will things keep progressing in a happy direction?

xXx

Disclaimer: Not mine, unless you don't recognize a character. Then it is mine, and you shouldn't take it.

AN: Well, all my loverly reviewers, I love your support! Remember, constructive criticism is a good thing sometimes. Idea's, changes, corrections in cannon, anything. Suggest it nicely, and I'll think about changing it…

This-Family-Affair: _S'il vous plait_ is French for _please_.

xxBuffyfreakxx: Thanks! Wow, that makes me feel SO much better! I need reassurance some times. House + normal conversation who knows?? Haha!

Calleigh Caine: Yeah, he's slowly…very slowly, mind you…starting to trust her. Let's hope no one tries to destroy that…

Carmsies: I'm glad you like the story so far!

Kissmyfoot: Oh believe me, I've done that before. It's what I get for being ADD. I'm glad you like the story!

silver-screen-953: I'm so glad! I can't wait to write more! lol!

jamy21: Oh my word, I am SO excited for the next House!!! THEY NEED TO KISS!!! Thanks for your support in my story!

xXx

Cameron didn't want to be home alone and bored any longer than she had to be. Because of this simple fact, she was at work a half an hour early, dressed professionally as if nothing had happened.

When she walked into the Diagnostics office, she wasn't surprised to find it completely empty and void of life. She set to her semi-normal routine. Make the coffee, check House's email, sort his regular mail, and file his paperwork. She'd never admit it, but it was to keep her mind off of what had happened 5 days before. And unbeknownst to her, a certain doctor was going to be 'early' for his standards. He was on his way to see her, even if he'd never admit it, because somehow he knew that she'd be here early.

House hadn't been in the hospital for more than 20 seconds when Cuddy came out of her office and yelled at him to get his ass into the clinic. She didn't even acknowledge the fact that he was early, just yelled at him. House was about to make some comment to get out of clinic duty when she shoved a folder into his hands and stormed back into her office. "I guess you haven't found the sniper yet." House muttered, stalking down the hall.

He stepped into the exam room and came face to face with a man that was obviously in pain. With a slight frown, House closed the door and stood in front of the man. "Let me guess. Your back hurts."

The man just stared at him. "How did you…"

"From the way you're sitting." House interrupted, holding up the folder. "I also read your file." He gave a sarcastic smirk and tossed the file onto the counter. "It also said that you were an idiot by lifting something that weighed more than a small truck, if I remember correctly." He picked up the chart again and pointed it at the man. "Take some Advil, buy a forklift, and leave me alone."

He was stopped by a sudden hacking cough from the man. He turned around, a gruffly thoughtful expression on his face. "How long have you had that cough?"

The man shrugged though the violent coughing, gesturing for water. "It's…chronic."

House just 'hmmm-ed' and tilted his head back slightly with a slight squint of his eyes, handing the man a cup of water. "Anything else wrong with you?"

The man pondered this question for a bit before nodding, his coughing subsided. "My wife noticed a rash this morning when I was changing for work." He lifted up his shirt and showed House the rash before adding one more thing. "And I wasn't lifting anything heavy. It was my two year old."

House looked up from checking the rash, his blue eyes piercing the man's brown eyes. Without saying a word, House limped to the phone and held it to his ear. "Hello, ducklings. We have a case."

xXx

"32 year old male. He has a chronic hacking cough, back pain, and a rash. He is also married with a two year old kid." House said as he limped into the room and over to the white board. In his scrawling handwriting, he wrote the three symptoms on the board and turned to his three ducklings, two of which had come in moments before he had called the department. "Welcome back, Cameron." He nodded at her before turning his gaze on the other two. "Differential diagnosis, peoples. Give me what you've got."

"He strained his back." Chase said in a bored voice. "That's it."

Foreman sighed, annoyed. "Then why are we even doing this?"

"Because." Cameron broke in. "If it was _just_ a strain, House wouldn't have brought him to us. It also wouldn't account for the rash or the cough. Even though he said that the cough was chronic, we can't trust that because it wasn't on his charts." She looked at House expectantly.

House closed one eye and wrinkled his nose, hiding his grin. "Score three points for the pretty one. Down three points each for Dr. Wombat and Dr. Bling. Boys, I do believe that Dr. Emotional is in the lead." He ignored the eye rolling of the three and continued on, leaning heavily on his cane. "So if it isn't a sprain, Cameron, tell the class what _else_ could it be?"

"Spinal stenosis." She said simply. "It explains almost everything except the rash."

"Well let's just ignore the rash then." Foreman said sarcastically. When the other three turned to look at him, Foreman looked back at them, somewhat confused. "What? It's what House always says."

"Then let me say it." House snapped, turning back to the bored, tapping it with the pen. "What else could it be?"

"MS." Chase threw out.

House snorted. "Right. I feel like a broken record saying this, but you are an idiot. Someone tell Chasey-wasey why it can't be MS."

Cameron spoke up quickly. "We can't rule out MS yet. We haven't done any of the tests. Once we've completed the tests…"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, I get it." House interrupted and stuck his tongue out at Cameron. "Okay, party pooper. Chase, first go run blood tests to check for MS as well as to find out if that rash of his really is a rash. Cameron, go reserve the MRI for his spine and then go with Foreman. Foreman, go find out his complete history, down to the first girlfriend he ever banged. Then the two of you MRI his spine." He ignored the eye rolling from the black man and waved at the group with his hands. "Shoo!"

xXx

House was lying flat on his back with his feet propped on a chair, his headphones on, listening to the Rolling Stones on his record player. He was fingering the imaginary keys of the keyboard and was completely oblivious to the rest of the world. He was startled to open his eyes and see Cameron standing over him, a folder in her hand and an amused expression on her face. He squinted and removed the headphones. "Yes?"

"Results from the MRI." She said simply, handing him the folder as he sat up with a slight wince. It isn't spinal stenosis."

He grabbed the side of his desk and managed to pull himself to a standing position. Ignoring the pain in his leg, he took the scans and hooked them to the light board. With a frown, he carefully examined the MRI. "It may not be spinal stenosis, but take a look at this." He said, pointing at a small mass at the base of the patient's spine.

"It's just scar tissue." Cameron said simply. "And it doesn't account for any of his symptoms."

"Scar tissue?" His face held every expression that screamed _are you an idiot_ as he turned and stared at her. "Are you saying that because it sounds nicer and safer than, say… a tumor?" He turned away, a disgusted, annoyed expression on his face.

"That's impossible. The blood tests were negative." Chase said as he walked in, having overheard his comment to Cameron. "They were also negative for MS."

Cameron just stared at House, her arms crossed across her chest, astounded.

"But the MRI wasn't clean." House insisted, refusing to look at Cameron. 

"But the blood work was." Chase said firmly. "Cameron's right. It's just scar tissue."

House pursed his lips and nodded. "Where's Foreman?"

"Clinic. Cuddy ushered him in there to see a patient that he had seen yesterday." Cameron informed him in an annoyed tone.

House frowned and nodded once more. "Okay. Then that brings us back to square one." He brought his head up and looked at his two ducklings. "We have no idea as to what is wrong with him."

xXx

Two days had passed. Two days of not knowing what was wrong with the patient, leaving the four doctors of the diagnostic department a bit edgy. The coughing had turned out to be nothing other than a chronic cough from working around smoke, so that was thrown out of the differential, as well as the spot on the MRI that was indeed just scar tissue. The patient was now unable to move without excruciating pain in his spine.

"Differential diagnosis. Let's go peoples, I need ideas. New ones, preferably." House stood at the board, his cane hanging from the top, pen poised.

"Spinal meningitis." Cameron said finally, when no one else spoke up. "We didn't even touch that."

"Maybe because it isn't meningitis. His neck didn't, and doesn't, hurt." House said patronizingly, earning a glare from Cameron. "Something else, anything."

"Athletes foot." Chase said sarcastically. That earned him stares from all three of the others in the room. "What, you said anything."

House actually gave a half laugh and turned back to the board. "And now that Chase has proved himself completely worthless **again**, let's go people! Anything that _relates_."

"TB." Foreman suggested.

House shook his head. "All the tests were negative. Anything else?" When no one answered, he threw up his hands. "C'mon, people! Think!"

"Ankylosing spondylitis." Cameron threw out. "It's an inflammatory arthritis that affects the spine and nearby joints. Over time, the spine _can_ become stiff and immovable, just like his has. It explains everything."

House stared at her before turning back to the board, searching the symptoms. "It fits. Start him on Enbrel and give him a prescription. Once his prescription is filled, send him away. If it is ankylosing spondylitis, there's nothing more we can do for him."

After sending the ducklings out to begin treatment on the patient, House was left alone with his iPod, his Rubik's cube, and his thoughts, which instantly turned to Cameron as it seemed to be doing more often as the days went by. She had been back at work for three days and he had yet to say more to her than the 'go do blood work' or 'Cameron, do my clinic duty' or 'bad idea, try again' type sentences. But he had a plan to change that.

xXx

About three hours later, the patient was stable, though House was keeping him overnight to make sure he was going to be fine. Cameron ended up in the lab to run yet another set of blood tests for the clinic. With a sigh, she leaned against the counter, the moment of waiting allowing her some time to think. Naturally, her thoughts went to House. During her stay in the hospital as a patient, he had been, dare she think it, _nice_. But ever since she had returned to work, he had gone back to ignoring her, mocking her during differentials, and criticizing her every move. It almost seemed worse than before the shooting. The whole business was twisting her mind into a swirling mass of confusion. She knew that he wasn't going to change instantly and be nice to her, but it would be alright with her if he wasn't so cruel.

A beep interrupted her thoughts. Her first instinct was to check her pager, which was silent. With an embarrassed laugh, she pulled the vile of blood out of the centrifuge and placed a drop of blood on the slide. Pushing it onto the microscope, she twisted the knobs until the image turned clear. She was just about to stand back and make a note when a certain cane slammed onto the table the microscope was sitting on. She jumped back, holding her hands to her chest. "God, House!" She gasped. "What the hell is your problem?"

"Too many to name. And how many times to I have to tell you that I'm not God?" House smirked. "Actually, I came down here for a reason. Now, what was it…? Oh yeah. Gravedigger is back in town." He waved the envelope in the air in front of her nose.

Cameron's eyes lit up for a brief nano-second before an indifferent expression masked her excitement. "So, why are you telling me?" She asked casually, turning back to the centrifuge. "You wanted Wilson to go with you last time and he couldn't, so why aren't you taking him?"

House cut her off, his tone indignant. "I didn't buy these to take Wilson. I bought them to take you because I know how much you liked the Gravedigger." Cameron spun around to face him and stared. The corner of his mouth tilted up slightly. "Now would be the time to ask 'like a date?'"

This brought a slight smile to her face. "I learned my lesson." She said softly.

House shook his head. "Pity. I'll pick you up at 7 on Friday." He turned and stalked out of the lab, but turned at the door briefly to add "date part might be included, but only if you promise to be really, _really_ naughty after." He winked, leaving Cameron standing there with a flabbergasted expression on her face, hoping that he hadn't just made a huge idiot out of himself.

She shook her head and busied herself with finishing the tests. They were needed in the clinic soon. She printed off the lab work and headed upstairs. It was only Tuesday. Why did everything that was confusing or emotionally trying seem to happen on a Tuesday?

xXx

Foreman and Chase were sitting around the table in the Diagnostics Department discussing the case they had just completed. They looked up as House sauntered into the room, whistling a tune neither of them could identify. They shared looks as their boss locked himself in his office and busied himself at the computer. With a glance to make sure House wasn't paying attention to them, the pair stood up and headed out of the room.

Once they were out of the room, Foreman turned to Chase. "He was whistling. The last time he was this visibly happy, he was singing and had gotten laid by Stacy, no surprise there. So what do you think this happened this time?"

"Well, he was more like humming back then. But…" Chase dragged out the word as they waited for the elevator. "If I didn't know House, I'd say he asked Cameron out on an actual date. However…"

"...Since we both know House." Foreman interrupted. "Yeah, that does seem a bit unrealistic."

They headed down to Cuddy's office once the car hit first floor. Chase opened the door and Cuddy looked up.

"Hello, guys." She stood up and checked to see if House had followed them. "Come in. Wilson will be here soon."

Chase and Foreman each took a seat. Chase seemed relaxed, but Foreman was a bit more unsettled. "What do you think House will do to us when he finds out we keep meeting like this to plot his life?"

"Oh, relax Foreman." Chase rolled his eyes. "House won't do anything to us because he isn't going to find out. And besides, we AREN'T plotting his life; we're planning on how to help him."

A knock sounded at the door before Wilson stuck his head in. "Did I miss anything?"

"No, we were waiting for you." Cuddy motioned for him to enter.

"So…" Foreman drew out the word. "Why are we here?"

"To discuss House." Wilson said simply.

"Then why are **we** here? Can't you two do that by yourselves? We can't be much more help than we've already been." Chase asked guardedly.

"Because you are part of his fellowship." Wilson explained. "And before you ask, the reason Cameron isn't here is because she is part of what we are going to discuss."

"Oh no." Both Foreman and Chase stood up. "There is no way I am going to do that. House is one thing, Cameron is a completely other story." Chase added.

"No way, man." Foreman agreed. "If I wanted to get killed, I'd go to San Francisco and declare that I hated gays."

"Well…" Cuddy said slowly. "If you don't stay and help, I can easily fire you." The pair sat down. "That's better. Now, about House and Cameron…"

"He was whistling." Chase butted in quickly.

"Who was?" Wilson and Cuddy asked in unison, confused.

"House." Foreman sighed. "Maybe he can handle this on his own…?"

"And maybe pigs will develop wings and fly." Cuddy said sarcastically.

"Actually…" Wilson said slowly. "He might just make this work. All we need to do is make sure he doesn't screw her over too."

"Riiiight." Chase laughed slightly. "House NOT screwing this up is more probable than, say the queen of England, deciding to marry a frog."

"Huh?" Foreman, Wilson, and Cuddy turned their confused expressions towards Chase.

"In other words, it's much more likely that he'll screw it up." Chase explained, annoyed. "Cameron isn't going to just let him screw around with her mind."

"She has so far." Foreman muttered.

Cuddy glared at Foreman. "And House is an ass. He's lucky that he's found someone who will put up with his crap."

"I'll amen that one." Wilson joked. "Besides, I know for a fact that he won't TRY to screw this up. If he does screw up, it won't be intentional. I'm not sure that he wants to deliberately hurt Cameron, not any more."

The other three agreed, not knowing that a certain immunologist had heard the gist of their conversation and wasn't sure whether to be amused or pissed. She knew House would be pissed if he found out, and she sure as hell wasn't going to tell him. As she walked down the hall towards the women's bathroom, she smiled slightly. Maybe she would tell him. It could be fun plotting against the four currently sitting in the Dean of Medicine's office.

xXx

House waited for five minutes before checking to make sure his subordinates were clear of the department. When he was assured they were gone, he allowed himself to relax slightly. Did they honestly think that he was that stupid? He didn't need those four trying to fix his life, but he'd let them have their fun…for now. _Maybe Cameron would be interested in making their lives hell for a while?_ The thought in itself was enough to make him smile. _I bet she'd be good at pulling pranks, if she had the right teacher._ He knew enough about her to know that she was full of surprises, and was quite sure that quiet, docile Allison Cameron had a playful, vengeful side to her.

A couple of clicks brought up his email message board and he proceeded to compose a short, informal letter to a certain member of Cameron's family.

_Dear Mrs. Cameron,_

_I am writing on behalf of your daughter, Allison Cameron. Well, not really on behalf. See, she has no idea that I'm doing this, so I'd appreciate your discretion in the matter I am about to present to you. In other words, don't discuss this with her, please._

Here he paused and tilted his head back, thinking. How to word it…

_My name is Dr. Gregory House, and I'm sure that your daughter has told you all about me. I assure you that all of it is true, unless she told you that I'm nice guy who loves to save kittens from rainstorms. Now, unless she said that I am an egocentric, sarcastic, angry, misanthropic son of a bitch who could care less for human interaction in general who is also her boss, she lied. However…if the above is what she told you, then it's true. Well, mostly. Actually, contrary to what most people think about me, I do indeed have feelings. And currently, as well as for the past two years or so, those rare feelings are directed towards a beautiful lady that just happens to work for me. Yes, I'm sure you have guessed it by now. Wait, what HAS she told you about me?_

He paused again, and wondered whether or not he should continue. Might as well, couldn't hurt. In fact, it would probably benefit him, proving he didn't need Wilson and Cuddy interfering with his life.

_Actually, the reason for this email is quite simple. I need your advice._

xXx

AN: Well, you know the drill! Reviews are awesome! I'm insecure; I need that reassurance that I'm doing a good job. Because, to me, this chapter was crap. Lots and lots of crap. Oh well….


	7. Correspondence and Talks

Story Title: Touch of Destiny

Chapter 7: Correspondence and Talks

Chapter summery: House starts a correspondence with someone, and life continues for Cameron.

xXx

Disclaimer: Not mine, unless you don't recognize a character. Then it is mine, and you shouldn't take it.

AN: Aaaah, the beauty of writing! And I am wondering if anyone knows where Cameron is originally from.

This-Family-Affair: You're welcome. I didn't think that the chapter ended with a cliffy….hmm….

Juwist: Sadly enough, you only get to read her reply. And something else. Hehe!

jamy21: Interesting as in good, or interesting as in bad….?

DarkAngelXF: Thanks!

Juniper375: I'm glad that my writing makes you happy! Thanks for the support!

Bglswrth454: I'm trying to keep in relatively in cannon, but hey, no one's perfect. At least he's consistent, right? Lol.

Gabunny: Thanks! No worries, more emails to come!

braceface freak: Well, I hope that you don't spontaneously combust on me! Damn right, House is a hard character to write! Lol. It's almost like trying to write about…I have no idea what metaphor to use….what God looks like…or something impossible like that….

xxBuffyfreakxx: Oh, I think that House and Mrs. Cameron are going to have a grand time "getting to know" each other even if it wasn't exactly what House was going for. I'm having fun writing this! I'm glad you're enjoying it!

Cherry Blossom 4 Ever: He is awesome, isn't he? Lol. I'm glad you love the story!

breakaway01: Lol! Yes, we will get along famously! More House/Cam to come, I promise!

saz89: Look, I updated!! See if you can guess what advice he needed…

obsessedwithstabler: NO! ANYTHING BUT THE KEYBOARD!! Thank-you dear. I needed that. Once a week updates, that's the best I can promise!!

Limaccia: Thanks! It's nice to know that I'm doing a good job!

breakaway01: Thank you! I'm glad you're enjoying and that you'll be back. I needed the encouragement. This week hasn't been good to me…

sweetgreuy: Isn't that funny? Oh the places we go…..lol. Yes, we all wonder why he is talking to Mrs. Cameron…hmmmm

breakaway01: Those two together are totally awesome, aren't they? And yes, I dream of House too. Only, I'm part of the team…its weird. I'm not Allie, but I'm PART of the team…very weird…especially since I'm going to be a teacher, not a doctor…yup, definitely weird.

bumberry: It was fun, wasn't it? I love writing this story!

Speaker of the Dragons: (Chapter five) That was the point. Sweet yet snarky. Yeah, poor House. (Chapter six) Thanks! It's really hard to write him in character.

Dayamiracle: I'm glad you like the story! I update when I can…so if there are huge breaks between updates, I am most sorry.

xXx

It was Wednesday morning, and it took House a moment to remember why his alarm was going off at 6 am. With an agonized groan, he rolled to a sitting position and clutched his leg. "Damn it." He muttered to the leg. "You doesn't like early mornings either." He popped two vicodin and rubbed his leg, willing the pain to go away. It took a few minutes, but soon he was able to manage to stand and limp to the bathroom to shower and get ready for the day.

When he entered the hospital at 7:30, the nurse on duty nearly dropped her coffee onto the desk. "Dr. House?!?"

"In the flesh or at least what's left of it." He snarked grouchily as he trudged by towards the elevator. He had just pushed the button on the elevator when a shocked voice reached his ears. "House?"

"Yes, Mistress Cuddy?" He pushed the button rapidly, willing the elevator to open. His luck failed him. He found himself trying very hard to ignore the strong perfume that wafted up to his nostrils, making him wanting sneeze. He rubbed his nose briskly, willing the sneeze away. This time it worked.

"You're here early." Cuddy's tone stated her approval at his early appearance.

House snorted and pushed the button again. "Hooker. I sent her here by accident. She's waiting for me in my office."

"Right." Now her tone sounded amused. "You are here for a reason."

House frowned and pushed the button rapidly again. "I am not here for your use." The doors finally opened and he stepped inside, hoping she didn't follow him. "I'm here for mine." He said with his eyebrows raised. He was lucky. She just smiled at him and walked back to her office just as the doors were closing in front of him.

House stepped into his office, clicked the door locked with his cane, and flipped the blinds closed. He wanted to check his email before Cameron got there and had a chance to see the email he hoped that her mother had sent. He was in luck on both accounts. With a quick glance around to make sure the office was indeed empty and that Wilson wasn't spying on him, he opened the email.

_Dear Dr. Gregory House, _

_I must admit that formality amuses me, so I am going to call you Greg._

_I must also admit that it was such a surprise to hear from you that I almost fell out of my chair. From what Allison has told me about you, I would've thought that you would be the last one to contact me. Your description of yourself isn't quite how Allie put it. Although, I would have to say that you being "an egocentric, sarcastic, angry, misanthropic son of a bitch who could care less for human interaction in general who is also her boss" is probably **exactly** what she wanted to say. As for you saving kittens from rainstorms, Allie herself doesn't even do that. She lets them sit out there and soak in the rain. Poor little things._

House actually smiled when he read that line. Mrs. Cameron seemed like a lady that could dish out as well as she received, even with that line about the poor kittens. "Poor little things indeed." He muttered before continuing to read, amused at what he was learning about Allison Cameron already.

_I will, however, remain pleasantly surprised that you even asked for my advice, and seated, and give you the advice that you probably had to ditch your pride to ask for. Do not fear, Greg, discretion will be used. Allie will not hear a word about this from me, I promise you this. However, I will only not tell her as long as you promise me this. Tell my daughter how you feel about her soon, before that one nice doctor (Chase was it?) snatches her away. I don't care if you marry her, or even date her. I just want her to have a chance to get what _she_ wants in life. I'm going to assume that I have your word, because I don't feel like making you wait to receive my advice, as much fun as that would be to do to make you squirm._

He could just see an older version of Cameron composing the email with a smirk much like his as she wrote this last line. With a slight shake of his head, and a grimace at the thought of Chase and Cameron, he glanced around to assure that he was still alone and continued reading.

_Allison is a no-nonsense person, as I'm sure you might have guessed, unless of course, you are blind, and I don't mean physically blind._

House winced at this. _Oops._

_She's a whole hell of a lot stronger than people take her for. As I know you know, her husband died six months after they married. And I know you think (because everyone has told her this) that she was desperate and a needy person for marrying a dying man. Let me set things straight in your mind. The doctors told her it was in remission and he would have a long time to live. He died 10 months after that diagnosis._

He winced again. _Double oops._

_My advice to you, Greg, is this. Be yourself. Allison is, for some reason that I'm sure you can't place, attracted to you. And it is not because of what she wants you to be. It is who you are already that she likes. Trust me, Greg. If she wasn't satisfied with who you were, she'd never had developed an interest._

_I'm afraid that I have already bored you beyond what I'm sure you can handle, so I shall let you go. I'm not expecting a reply, due to what she and you have told me about yourself. Take care, Greg. And if you have anything else you need, don't hesitate to give me a call. (Or to drop an email in my direction.)_

_Kaelya Cameron_

House sat stock still as he finished the email. He could feel the invisible walls surrounding his being start to harden once more before he forced himself to stop. He minimized the window and leaned back in his chair, bouncing his cane on the floor. Standing up quickly, he limped over to his chair and threw himself down. The only way he was going to accomplish anything was to actually let Allison Cameron in and for him to apologize for his words at that fateful date two years earlier, among other things. And that thought alone scared the hell out of him. He read the last paragraph again and his eyes narrowed slightly. He was going to shock Mrs. Cameron out of her chair again.

_Dear Mrs. Cameron,_

_Formality also amuses me, in fact, I avoid it. So how about me calling you Mummsy Dearest? No? Fine, Kaelya it is then._

_Dear Kaeyla,_

_I am hoping that this email finds you on the floor having been shocked out of your chair. I…appreciate…the advice, though I believe that if you knew who I really was and how I really acted, you'd never have said that I should 'just be myself.' Most mothers would want better for their children than a first grade ass hole like me. Since I'm guessing that whatever Allison told you about me has been sugar coated, and it doesn't seem that what I said last time actually sunk in, I am going to be very blunt._

_I am mean. I don't like anybody. In fact, I hate almost everyone. I avoid people like the plague. I walk with a cane because an infarction killed a good portion of the thigh muscle in my right leg. I'm almost twice your daughter's age, even if she'd argue that isn't THAT much. Okay, so I agree that I'm not quite twice, but still, the point is that I'm considerably older than she is. We went out on **a** date and I basically threw the fact that she married a dying man in her face, and informed her not so kindly that the only reason that she was interested in me was so she could fix me. I'm not good looking, I'm not even nice. I told her that I was what she needs, that I was damaged. I made some horrible comments to her that night, but still, life went on. _

_(Now comes the point where I act completely unlike myself. Prepare to be shocked again. I assume that this email is also going to remain confidential…?)_

_To be honest, I never meant what I said that night. From the moment Allison walked into my office for an interview, I was attracted to her. She asked me once why I hired her. I told her that it was because she was pretty, that every department needed 'lobby art.' She didn't seem surprised by that comment and went back to work. You, on the other hand, are probably horrified and shocked that I would say something like that to your precious Allison. I'll have you know that the reason I gave wasn't the truth, or at least, it wasn't the whole truth. Yes, I hired her because she was pretty. But there was more to it. I am a good judge of character and can sense the abilities in people. _That_ is why I hired Allison. I wanted the chance to help her expand into the doctor she could be because I saw the potential she had, and still does. She has matured into a very good doctor, though there is much she still can learn from working for me._

_This is not an email asking for permission to marry her or date her or anything crazy like that. If fact, you are probably wondering why I even told you this much. Believe me, not many people know where I live, let alone personal information. So this is simply to inform you just what kind of a man I am. If you still think that I should be myself around her after you read this, you can tell me again. _

_As well as something more substantial. "Just be yourself" is rather cliché, and I HATE clichés._

_Until then, _

_Greg House_

_PS: If you tell ANYONE about his email…bad things will happen to your rain-drenched kittens..._

House read over the email a couple of times before reluctantly clicking the send button. He heard a noise from the main room of the department and hurriedly closed the window and limped to the door. He pushed aside the blind slightly to see who was in the office. He wasn't surprised to see Cameron preparing coffee. What he was surprised to see was that she wasn't in her normal, professional garb. She was instead dressed in very casual jeans, not low riders mind you, and a baby t-shirt. Her lab coat was tossed carelessly on the table and she had an unsettled aura about her. She didn't seem to notice him watching her from his office and he saw her brush at her face quickly before pouring a cup of coffee into a black mug and adding the appropriate cream and sugar. She collapsed into one of the chairs and buried her face in her hands, her back to him, and her shoulders shaking slightly.

He couldn't take it any more. He may be a heartless, emotionless son-of-a bitch, but he hated to see ANY woman cry. He clicked the door unlocked and flung the door open, startling the immunologist. She quickly turned away from him when she saw who it was. "You're here early." Her voice was deceptively calm, but House could hear the under tones of what he guessed was either terror or sadness. Probably both, but what was she terrified of?

"Yeah." Was all he said, his eyes fixed on the back of her head.

She could feel him watching her and willed herself to ignore him, but she couldn't take it. "What do you want, House?"

He just kept staring at her until she turned around. When she did, he nodded. "That's what I thought." He said almost to himself. "Don't worry." He tried to sound reassuring. "He's not going to come back."

She was visibly shocked before her features relaxed. It was House; of course he was going to know what she was scared about. What she wasn't sure of was why he suddenly sounded so…was it actually concern? "I know." She said so softly, he had to strain to hear her. "It's just…I know." She picked up her lab coat and walked out of the office. "I'll be in the clinic if you need me." She was gone before he could say anything, not that he was going to. He watched her leave with his intense stare following her form until she was out of sight before picking up the phone.

xXx

Cameron had expected the clinic to be as packed as normal. Instead, she was greeted by Cuddy, who was alone save for the nurse on duty. "Dr. Cameron, I need to see you in my office." She turned and walked back through the doors, Cameron following close behind. "Have a seat, Allison." Once the younger woman was seated, Cuddy started to speak. "How are you doing?"

Cameron looked confused and shook her head. "What do you mean?"

"Since the shooting. How have you been?"

"Fine." Her tone was clipped, and had suddenly gained a slight edge to it.

Cuddy wasn't surprised. "How are the wounds doing? Any pain?"

She shook her head. "No, they've healed quite nicely. My side still hurts if I laugh too hard, but that was the worst shot."

Cuddy almost mentioned that now she and House had almost matching scars, but refrained. Instead, she just smiled. "Why don't you…"

"If you tell me to take the day off, I'll quit." Cameron threatened as she stood up.

Cuddy smiled. "I was actually going to ask why you don't go ahead and leave early today. I know you well enough to know that you won't take a day off, and god knows you might get a patient. So go ahead and leave early today."

Cameron nodded. "I'll see." She said tonelessly, knowing that she had no intention of leaving early.

"Okay." Cuddy bit her lip as Cameron left. Once she was gone, she picked the phone back up. "You catch all that, House?"

"Yeah." House's voice was distant. "Don't worry. She'll be gone by 12:30."

She winced as he slammed the phone down and sighed. "What is happening to my hospital?"

xXx

House waited for Cameron to reenter the room, but she didn't. After about 10 minutes after he had hung up on Cuddy, he decided to search her out. He tried the clinic first, but when he saw that there was no one there, he high-tailed it out of there. No point in giving Cuddy a reason to make him work, right?

The lab was empty as well, except for one lone lab technician who stutteringly said that he hadn't seen Dr. Cameron since yesterday. There wasn't a patient, so that option was quickly eliminated. An examination of all the women's restrooms produced only three very embarrassed women and one hugely amused House. He found himself outside the diagnostic's department, completely baffled. _Where the hell is she?_

He heard footsteps coming down the hall and quickly hid in the room across the hall. The footsteps belonged to the other two ducklings, who were discussing their latest dates from the night before. House smirked as he gathered useful blackmail before turning his mind back to finding out where the female of his staff was. When Chase and Foreman had disappeared into the department, he hurriedly made his way to the stairs. He knew where she was.

After an agonizing trip up the stairs, he paused at the top to take a quick breather as well as a couple of vicodin. "Damn stairs." He muttered, flinging open the large metal door. He hadn't been back up here since Stacy had left, and the knowledge was bittersweet.

At first, all he saw was the brick and metal of the roof. But taking a closer look, he saw a small figure at the end of the roof, as far as someone could walk without falling off. He knew that she had heard him; it wasn't as if he had made his entrance quietly. But she didn't turn around. She just remained still, her arms wrapped around herself, her hair blowing about her face mindlessly. He wordlessly walked up to her, his steps sounding loud in the silence, the sound of his cane clicking reverberating off the walls. He stopped beside her, neither of them speaking; the only sounds were the two of them breathing and the whistle of the wind. House was the first to break the silence, his voice low and gravely in the quiet air.

"I don't do conversation."

This made her smile slightly. "I know." Her voice was light and airy compared to his.

He tightened his jaw and nodded briskly. "Right."

She nodded and sighed, placing a hand on his arm as he turned to leave. "Please, House. Stay."

"Why?" His eyes were probing and calculating.

"You don't have to say anything. You don't even have to be nice. I just don't want to be alone." She explained. When he didn't say anything, she released his arm and turned away. "Forget I asked." She whispered brokenly. She was startled to feel him turn back around and stand beside her.

"Sorry, can't." He gruffly muttered back, sounding almost put out. He didn't see the small smile cross her face and she didn't see the tightening of his jaw and the bob of his Adam's apple as he swallowed. Unknown to the other, and quite possible to themselves, each had just made a step in each other's preverbal direction.

xXx

Meanwhile, downstairs, Foreman and Chase were standing around the white board playing tic-tac-toe as they waited for Cameron to show up. "You know, it's not like her to be late." Chase said suddenly, just as Foreman won the latest round.

"Maybe she had car trouble." Foreman smirked as he erased the X's and O's. "Go."

Chase sighed and placed an X on the board. "Highly doubt it. She'd call if it were car trouble."

Foreman place an O on the board and shrugged. "So she's late. Who cares? Let her be late once in a while."

The Australian studied the board and drew an X. "Then who made the coffee?"

Foreman put an O on the board and paused. "No clue." He groaned as Chase won the game. "We're done."

"You're a sore loser." Chase muttered, pulling out his crossword book.

"And you are really nosy. Let her be. She's fine." Foreman said firmly, pulling out the latest medical journal.

"Right." Chase nodded, unbelievingly. "I'd be just fine coming back to work in the same room I was shot in."

"House did it."

"House isn't Cameron."

"And House didn't lose a spouse to cancer. She's fine."

"Whatever."

xXx

Neither of them knew exactly how long they stood there, but House knew that it was high time to be leaving because his leg was starting to yell at him for standing so long. Cameron must have sensed his thoughts because she quietly turned and started to walk towards the door. He quickly followed her, dry swallowing a vicodin as they made their way through the door. He winced inwardly at the realization that he would have to walk down the stairs with her there.

But she once again surprised him. Without a word, she started down the stairs without a glance of pity or worry. He realized suddenly that he actually _wanted_ her to glance at him as if to ask if he needed help. He wanted to call her name and ask for her help, but his stubborn pride stopped him. He watched as she disappeared down the stairs and through the doors at the bottom before he slowly made his way down himself, each step agonizing torture.

When he finally made it back to the department, the three of them had already set to working out something on the whiteboard. He was just about to barge in and scold them for using it without permission when he realized just what Chase was writing. He paused outside the door and watched what progressed inside the room.

xXx

While Cameron had felt guilty about leaving House to make his own way down the stairs, she knew that it was better that way. House would never accept help. Instead, she headed back to the department, ready to face whatever came. What she wasn't prepared for was Foreman and Chase standing by and ready to grill her.

"So, Allison, how are you?" Chase began the conversation quite innocently.

Cameron instantly suspected an ulterior motive, but answered the question anyway. "I'm fine, Robert." She stressed the _Robert_ sarcastically.

"Told you so." Foreman muttered. When Cameron whirled around to face him, he held his hands up in his defense. "Hey, I said you were fine."

Cameron just stared at him. "Excuse me? And since when do you care about how I am? What if I wasn't fine?"

"Told you so." This time it was Chase who muttered.

The immunologist threw up her hands in frustration. "Are you two so bored that the only thing that you can think of to do is psychoanalyze me without me even being present?" Her tone turned severally sarcastic. "I'm impressed, you two."

Chase walked over to the board. "And now we can do so with you present. So, Foreman. What is the differential diagnosis for a moody female?"

Foreman pondered the thought and grinned. "PMS."

Cameron's eyes grew wide and she gaped at Foreman. "Excuse me?"

Chase wrote it down on the board. "Very good. Anything else?"

"How about really obnoxious coworkers." Cameron said disbelievingly. "I can't believe that you guys are doing a diagnosis on me!"

"Hmmm…no." Chase tilted his head. "How about too much time with House when she was a patient?"

"That's a good one." Foreman grinned. "Here's one. How about…"

A loud voice interrupted his questioning. "How about Cameron's diagnosis?" House couldn't take it anymore. Cameron looked as if she were about to scream or cry or both. "Two very obnoxious coworkers who won't leave her alone. She was SHOT damn it! How the hell do you think she is?" He glared at them and slammed his office door as best he could without breaking it. No need to get Cuddy pissed at him for one more thing. The three ducklings just stared after his retreating form, one amazed and the others shell shocked.

xXx

AN: Wow! This chapter was LONG. Well, longer than usual. A little over 10 pages in word. Woot! Appreciate it and review! smirk. I was going to have the "date" in here, but yeah…didn't happen. I seriously thought that this story wouldn't be that long…maybe 10 chapters…HAHAHA!! I have a while yet to go. It's amazing. Wow. Anywhoo, toodles!


	8. Truth, Clinics, and Monsters

Story Title: Touch of Destiny

Chapter 8: Truth, Clinics, and Monsters

Chapter summery: The clinic is a total bore and the "date" finally happens.

xXx

Disclaimer: Not mine, unless you don't recognize a character. Then it is mine, and you shouldn't take it.

AN: This chapter is an immediate continuation of the last chapter after all the reviews.

obsessedwithstabler: smirk My job here is done! I have completed my task. Pepsi has been squirted. Now for the next thing….MILK! HAHAHA!

breakaway01: Well, to be honest, I didn't know that he would either…until I decided that if he really wanted to, he'd tell her, even if it was to see if she'd freak and run. Works for me…lol. Thanks for the review!!!!

Astronomylover: Yay! I kept them in character:D Guess what? I'm a cat lover too! That's why it was so funny to me. And yes, he totally likes her. We ALL know that:D Soon, my lovelies, soon….

This-Family-Affair: Yeah, yeah, yeah, poor kitties….

Sweetgreuy: yeah, they are. But if you watch House constantly…like me…you do see his softer side once and a while. Don't worry, he's still House…. evil smirk

Limaccia: LOL!! Yeah, I've tried reading while watching House on TV. That doesn't work either. Luckily, it was one I had on DVD… Good luck with babysitting!

Dayamiracle: I figured that Cameron's mom would have a sense of humor. As far as I know, Cameron's never really mentioned her family except that she's not an only child.

xxBuffyfreakxx: Yeah, it didn't feel right just jumping straight to the date. So yeah! Hope this chapter doesn't disappoint!

Colonelheather: yes, this is getting exciting, isn't it? Aaaah, the joys of House/Cam!

LittleDragonfly23: I'm glad you love it. Was this a soon enough update??

saz89: I thought that it was about time he stood up for her. :D I'm glad you love it!!

xXx

"You wrote Cameron's mother?" Wilson's disbelieving voice sounded from House's swivel chair.

House groaned and turned to leave his office. He'd rather face the ducklings after yelling at them than Wilson psychoanalyzing him.

Wilson stopped him. "Oh ho ho, no you don't!"

"Gotta run. Clinic calls." House said quickly, trying to leave through the other door.

Wilson stopped him again by stepping in front of him.

House glared at him. "It's not nice to be mean to helpless cripples, you know."

"You, of all people, are not helpless. Why are you writing Cameron's mom?" Wilson questioned again.

"To find out all of Allison's deep dark secrets so I can have a sleepover and we can do each other's nails while working out all our girly problems and discuss our 'feelings' for everything in life." House said sarcastically.

"That does sound like you." Wilson agreed with the same amount of sarcasm. "But…it's not the truth."

"Truth is what is real to me." House grumbled. "My truth is different than your truth. Believe what you want."

"And I believe that you wrote to her to ask for something. World peace, maybe some advice, or how about Cameron's hand in marriage?" He grinned when House froze. The grin faded at the annoyed yet pained look that crossed his friend's face. "Sorry. That was out of line."

"Damn right." House muttered, heading to leave. This time Wilson let him leave, wondering how else he could've handled the conversation.

House stalked down to the clinic. Today was a day for surprises, he decided. "Dr. House, clocking in at 10:00." He snatched a folder from the waiting stack and yelled out the name. "Trudy Williams!" A 16 year old girl waved from her place along the wall. "Follow me, my young apprentice."

Cuddy came out of her office just in time to see House disappear into an exam room. She didn't see the patient enter before him, so she instantly suspected that he was going to hide from work. _Not this time, buddy._ She thought maliciously. She stormed down the hall and flung the door open. "Greg House! Get your…" She froze when she saw the young girl stood beside the cabinets. "Oh. Excuse me. I'm sorry. Dr. House, see me in my office after this." She fled the room, leaving a scared girl and an amused doctor in the room.

House turned to Trudy. "Don't worry, she does that often. It's like she just doesn't trust me to do my job." He wiped a pretend tear from the corner of his eye. The girl just nodded silently. "So, what seems to be the problem?"

"I…um…it's embarrassing, actually." She said softly.

"Kid, like I've told numerous patients, I'm a doctor. I've been a doctor for longer than you've been alive, probably even twice. Nothing surprises me anymore. I had a guy who shoved an MP3 player up his ass because of the bass line." House's tone was patronizing and annoyed and he sat down on a stool.

She shifted uncomfortably. "I…umm…Last night I was at a party."

House blinked. "Wow! That was so embarrassing. I'd be embarrassed to tell my doctor that I went to a party as well."

"I got drunk."

"Again….not embarrassing." House stood up and started to leave.

"Someone dared me to shove my phone…" She stopped, her face bright red.

House whirled around. "Up your ass." He finished, giving her his 'stare'. "God, some people are idiots."

"Vagina." She whispered, looking down.

"Just when I think that this day couldn't get much weirder…" He blinked again. "Is it on vibrate?"

"What?" She asked, stunned.

"The phone. Is it on vibrate?"

"No…" She said slowly.

"Then why do it? If you're going to put yourself through pain and torture of actually shoving a not-so-round object that doesn't belong there up there, you might as well get _some_ pleasure from it." He said matter-of-factly, snapping on a pair of gloves and pulling the stool over to the examination table. "Hop up."

"What are you going to do?" She asked fearfully, eyeing him suspiciously, sitting on the edge of the table cautiously.

"Remove it." He smirked and threw back his head and laughed maniacally. "Don't worry, it won't hurt…much." He held up the long forceps and grinned evilly.

Trudy's eyes widened and her breathing started to grow more rapid.

House rolled his eyes. "Don't worry; it's a simple procedure that has minimal pain. Lie back and stay still." He gave her a smirk. "Oh, and by the way: your phone will be fine."

xXx

"House was defending you, Cameron. Something is going on." Chase and Foreman had gone from doing differentials on her moods and were now ragging on her about House.

"Nothing is going on!" She said irritatably. "You were being annoying. He doesn't like you. Therefore, he told you to stop. He'd have yelled at you if you were annoying Cuddy or Wilson too."

"No he wouldn't." Wilson walked into the room from House's office. "He'd join in, even if it were you, as was the case a week ago."

"Maybe he's just annoyed at you three." Cameron snapped. "We really need a patient." She muttered. "I'm going to clinic." She quickly disappeared into the hall.

"Hmm." Wilson hummed. "Guess where House went?"

"The clinic?" Foreman asked.

"Yup." Wilson grinned before he let out a sigh. "This is getting harder and harder to stay out of."

"Well, we need to." Chase said. "Stay out of it, that is."

"And you were doing a great job at doing that 20 minutes ago." Foreman shot back at him.

"Oh shove it." Chase snorted. "That was concern."

"No….that was 'I like my female coworker.'" Foreman insisted with a smirk much like House's.

"So?" Chase shrugged nonchalantly. "I like her. What are you going to do about it?"

Both Foreman and Wilson froze. "Oh no, Chase. Stay far from that one." Wilson warned.

"Why?" Chase shot out. "If House wants her, he'll have to either prove it, or fight for her. I refuse to stand by while she gets hurt again by that heartless bastard."

Wilson rubbed his hand over his face as he turned and left the room. _What is this world coming to?_

xXx

"Come in." Cuddy looked up as House entered the office. "Oh, it's you."

"Yes, it's me." House said mockingly, striking a vampire pose. "Vhat _iz_ dis vorld coming to?" He unknowingly mimicked Wilson's phrase with a Transylvanian accent.

"That's what I want to know." She gave him a _look_. "Why were you actually working this morning? In the clinic no less."

House sighed. "Well, if you must know…" His eyes took on a mischievous gleam. "I'm changing my ways. I'm going to rescue kittens from rainstorms, paint rainbows in the Diagnostics Department, go to Africa and build orphanages, personally check up on all my former patients, as well as put in extra hours in the clinic."

Cuddy rolled her eyes. "Can you _not_ be serious for one minute?"

He pretended to ponder this thought. "You know, I tried that once. It gave me a massive personality change. I became _nice_." He shuddered. "But I stopped that immediately once I realized what the proper diagnosis was for the personality change."

"Figures." She muttered. "Why were you in the clinic?"

"Why was I in the clinic?" House contemplated sarcastically. "Cuddy, one would think you didn't _want_ me in the clinic! Oh my god, I've been doing this all wrong! You don't want me in the clinic to _work_; you just want to stare at me and my ass all day long. I should've guessed."

"House!" Cuddy screeched impatiently. "That is NOT why I want you in the clinic."

"Darn. I was looking forward to wearing my really tight leather pants tomorrow." His watch beeped and he glanced at it. "Oh snap, gotta run. More patients to see." He sauntered out of her office and she groaned. He was going to be the death of her.

House picked up another file and started off towards exam room two. He stopped in his tracks when he saw Cameron leaving exam room three. "Dr. Cameron."

"Dr. House." She nodded in reply, passing him by and stopping at the nurses' station, grabbing another file. "Eric? This way please."

The corner of House's mouth quirked up and he disappeared into exam room two. This was going to be fun.

xXx

Cameron was trying her hardest not to snap at the patients. This was the third runny nose she had dealt with and to be honest, she was sick of stupid parents who were paranoid that each little cough and sniffle was a deadly disease. She refrained from slamming the door to the exam room and leaned against the wall, closing her eyes. It was noon, and she wouldn't admit it, but she just wanted to leave. She felt more than heard someone lean against the wall next to her.

"So, enjoying the clinic?" House's voice sounded amused.

"Oh yes." She said sarcastically, never opening her eyes. "It's a blast. I just love dealing with runny noses and coughing kids. Or is it runny kids and coughing noses?" She deadpanned.

She heard him chuckle. She refrained from grinning at the sound of it and turned her head to look at him. "Why are you down here?"

He tilted his head up to look at the ceiling. "I'm throwing Cuddy off track."

"It's working, I assume."

"Oh yeah."

She grinned. "Why does that not surprise me?"

He squinted. "Because I'm becoming too predictable?" His eyebrow rose as he tilted his head to look at her.

"Oh yeah." Her tone turned sarcastic again. "It is most definitely that."

He smirked again and faced forward, the hall growing quiet. "Go home." He said suddenly.

"What?" Her tone turned defensive.

He tightened his jaw and looked up. "Go home. We don't have a patient, and you are still recovering from the shooting."

"Is this concern, Dr. House?" Cameron snapped. "Or is it Cuddy telling you that I need a break?"

House just stared at her. "What do you want it to be?"

She gaped at him. "What do I want it to be? I want the truth, House!"

He watched her in silence for a bit before she turned to walk away. "It's concern." He whispered gruffly, giving up a good chunk of his pride to say it.

She whirled around, her eyes searching his as if verifying the truth before she gave him a half smile and started walk off.

"Cameron?" House called after her, starting to limp after her.

"I'm going home, House." She called out over her shoulder. "I'm taking tomorrow off as well. I'll see you Friday."

House just stood there, thinking not for the first time that women were the most confusing creatures in the universe.

xXx

Both Thursday and Friday passed with no cases; this was bad for the ducklings because that meant House was bored, even when Cameron returned on Friday. The room was soon littered with balls of paper, pens, and pencils that had become projectile missiles aimed at the other doctors from "General" House. Foreman, Cameron, and Chase were finally so annoyed at House that on Friday afternoon, they went to Cuddy complaining. Cuddy called House to her office after she sent the three ducklings home.

"House, come in." Cuddy glared at House as he just stood at the door. "If you are so bored, why don't you go to the clinic?"

"Hmmmm….maybe because I don't want to?" House's eyebrow rose.

"Not good enough." Cuddy rolled her eyes. "Go to the clinic, now."

"Mmmm, no." He said, turning away to leave.

"House, you need to do your job!" Cuddy screeched at him.

"I do my job!" House yelled back, turning back. "I do my clinic hours, and I complete my quota of patients for the week. I'm entitled to a social life, you know."

"That's the statistics of your job." Cuddy snapped. "Not good enough. As for sending your staff home, they needed a break from YOU. And the thought of you having a social life is very amusing as well as _very_ unrealistic."

"I have a social life." House snapped back. "I even have a hot date tonight."

"Oh really? Expensive hooker?" Cuddy said sarcastically. "She can wait. Clinic, now."

House smirked and started to leave. "Cameron won't be happy that you referred to her as a hooker."

He left Cuddy with her jaw on the preverbal floor, clinic forgotten.

xXx

Cameron stood at the closet deciding what to wear to the monster truck rally. It was a simple decision, and what was supposed to take an hour in reality took 15 minutes. While she was happy that Cuddy sent them home early, she was now she left with an hour and a half to do absolutely nothing until House arrived. She opted on reading but found that she couldn't concentrate on the book. She decided to clean a bit in her apartment, despite the fact that her apartment was already spotless.

At precisely 7, a loud sound of wood knocking on wood reverberated through her apartment. She grinned at the sound of it and smoothed down invisible wrinkles in her shirt. She opened the door and was extremely glad for what she had chosen to wear. A low whistle greeted her as House looked her up and down, taking in her attire. Low rider jeans incased her legs and her black leather jacket was open, showing a tight red spaghetti strap tank top shirt stuck to her like a second skin. Her hair was pulled back into a half ponytail, leaving her bangs falling around her forehead.

A light laugh brought him out of his obvious admiration of her and brought his eyes to her face. "Like what you see?" She asked, taking in his typical jeans, Rolling Stones shirt, black jacket, and the green hat he wore last time.

He instantly snapped to attention. "It'll do." He said indifferently, his eyes giving away his true feelings.

Cameron just smiled. "Let's go."

House waited while she locked her door and pointed down the hall. "Ready, set, go!"

She rolled her eyes. "I'm not running." They started to walk down the hall. "I will, however, walk." She smiled at him, and he just smirked back.

Luckily, House had brought the 'Vette so the ride to the rally was rather quiet. Cameron was trying to figure out how to bring up the topic of the four in Cuddy's office discussing _them_, but she wasn't sure how. Turns out she worried needlessly.

"So, I hear we need to find some medieval ways of torture to apply on a certain group of 'friends' we have." House spoke suddenly, risking a glance at Cameron.

She let out a noticeable sigh of relief and grinned. "I was just trying to figure out how to tell you about that. They didn't notice me when I went to go tell Cuddy something rather unimportant. The conversation inside was…amusing to say the least."

House 'hmmed' and tapped the steering wheel, having parked the car. "We'll think of something. For now, Gravedigger calls!"

Gravedigger, as expected, was amazing. Cameron wasn't sure which rally she enjoyed more, this one or the last one. Probably this one, because House had practically told her that it was a date. And to be completely honest, she'd rather date him this way than in fancy restaurants accompanied with awkward conversations. He was much more fun to be with when he was relaxed and in his element, which tonight he clearly was. He was laughing and joking in a non-sarcastic way. He didn't hold her hand, or touch her in any romantic type of way, but she could tell that he was enjoying himself.

During the first break, House practically dragged her out to the overpriced carnival type games. She resisted at first at participating, but he goaded her into proving herself at ring toss and other such games. He pouted and dragged her away when she started to beat him at the games. She laughed and called him a sore loser. He plopped his hat on her head, pulled it down over her eyes and messed up her hair, effectively ending her teasing him. She had smacked his arm but was grinning as she did so.

As they were trying to get to their seats after the break, she found herself trying in vain to get the cotton candy out of her hair as House laughed at her having been pushed into her from behind. She glared at him, but that only made him laugh harder. "It would be nice of you to _help_ seeing as it's your fault I have this sticky mess in my hair anyway." She growled as she gave up, secretly enjoying the happy side of House that she had seen only once before at the previous rally. "I'll be back. I'm going to attempt to wash this out."

A hand grabbed her arm. "No, wait. I'll go with you in a bit." House tugged on her arm. "Sit, this is starting again. Wait until another break."

She sat down next to him, shrugging. "Whatever you say." She was genuinely surprised that he had stopped her and was even more surprised when he looped his arm over the back of her chair, but then again, his other arm was over the other chair, which wasn't surprisingly empty. No one wanted to sit near House once they realized how he acted in public. She soon realized why when he started to poke her. When she ignored him, he poked her even harder.

"Hey." He said loudly over the sounds of the rally.

"What, House?" She yelled back, annoyed.

"I have an idea."

"…about?"

"How to get back at Wilson, Cuddy, Foreman, and Chase." He grinned evilly.

She stared at him before a slow grin crossed her face, her eyes mischievous. "Oh really? What?"

He just waggled his eyebrows and smirked. Just as he thought, Cameron would be a willing participant. "You'll have to follow my lead, and be willing to comply with what I say, got it?"

"Got it." She rubbed her hands together in eager anticipation.

House grinned at her apparent enthusiasm. "Okay, here's the plan…"

xXx

AN: Woot! Now _this_ is a Cliffy! HAHAHAHAHA!!


	9. Friendships come from bizarre places

Story Title: Touch of Destiny

Chapter 9: Friendships come from bizarre places

Chapter summery: Lunch happens, the clinic sucks as usual, and there is an unusual differential in the department.

xXx

Disclaimer: Not mine, unless you don't recognize a character. Then it is mine, and you shouldn't take it.

AN: Aaaaand….here it is folks! The next exciting installment of the story! Be wary, this chapter is probably the most OOC I've written House yet…so I apologize right now for how horrid this chapter is.

Obsessedwithstabler: Darn…too bad on the milk. Maybe something else…like apple juice? And I will definitely be on the lookout for Hide and Seek. grin And sorry, no phone. I can barely afford one myself…as for your latest update on Hide and Seek….EVIL YOU!!!!

Sweetgreuy: only the juiciest for my readers!

Dayamiracle: cliff hangers seem to be all the rage lately….MWAHAHAHA!!!!

LittleDragonfly23: I'm glad this is one of your faves!! That makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside! Feel lucky….the only reason I'm able to update this often is because I'm on spring break. Enjoy it while it lasts!

bones4life: I live for those House/Cuddy moments. They amuse me so very much! And who doesn't love House/Cam moments? As for revealing the plan….

breakaway01: insert diabolical laughter here That is my job, hun. I LIVE to make people wait! Hahaha!! I'm glad you love the story!

Splante: I'm glad that my writing of House is authentic enough to please ya'll. That makes me happy that I'm doing an adequate job. However, this chapter may fail your approval…I don't think he's in character...but there's no other way that I can change it. sniff

xxBuffyfreakxx: Ahhh, the sweet sound of annoyance from me writing cliffhangers. I love my life:D

colonelheather: This is the smirk of self satisfaction  

whoKMH: See, if House isn't uncomfortable, I'd think he'd be MUCH more likely to be "happy" around her, like he was when they went to the monster trucks in the first season.

SapereAude: This is the plan…HAHAHAHA!! Read below…you shall soon see!

Limaccia: Yeah, he is MUCH more comfortable acting "romantic" for show rather than for real.

saz89: I'm just paying all ya'll back for those who enjoy writing cliffhangers!!!

House.Cam-xx: I'm glad you love it! And I try to be awesome. It's my goal in life to have everyone know just how awesome I am!

ColorOfAngels: I never said I was nice, did I? Nope. Newsflash: I'm an evil writer. grin

AnybodysBaby: I'm glad you love it! I always enjoy getting new readers!

xXx

A week had passed since House and Cameron's date to the monster trucks and so far, their plan had worked. They had managed to confuse everyone in the hospital about their "relationship" and drive them all insane with the massive circles they were taking everyone in. The mischievous pair had made Wilson want to crawl up a wall, Cuddy was willing to retire early, and Chase was about ready to eat his crossword puzzle book. Foreman just took it in stride, though he himself was ready to jump off the roof of the hospital. And when ever the four of them gathered together to talk, another piece of House's plan fell into place.

_Monday_

They had agreed to come to work at the same time, late of course, and walk in together.

"House." Cameron greeted him in the parking lot as she stepped from her car and walked towards him.

"Cameron." House nodded and smirked. "Repeat the phases for me."

Rolling her eyes, she obliged. "Phase one, or Monday, make everyone suspicious, but no actual physical contact."

"Good. Next?"

"Phase two, Tuesday, involves adding more physical contact but keeping it minimal and kosher. Phase three, Wednesday, involves more physical contact, but arguments that seem as if we are a couple arguing about stupid stuff. Phase four, Thursday, involves ignoring each other and acting like we hate each other. Phase five, Friday, is back to making everyone think we're falling in love." The whole spiel was dripping with sarcasm as she ticked each one off on her fingers.

House nodded. "Ready for phase one?"

"Ready as I'll ever be." She took a deep breath and grinned.

"Don't screw this up." He whispered as they started to the door, trying to make it appear as if he was sharing something dirty with her. "I'll never let you live it down."

"As if you had to tell me." She muttered with a smile that she hoped looked seductive.

Apparently their charade worked, because as they entered together, Wilson and Cuddy, who were talking by the clinic doors, stopped and stared at the pair. The moment they were safe in the elevator, they started to laugh. "Remind me to never doubt you again." House announced, amusement laced through his voice. "You really _can_ pull something like this off. Of course, the true test will be later on in the week."

"Of course." She smirked as the doors opened.

"On to the other ducklings!" House pointed down the hall. "Race you to the department!"

She just rolled her eyes and kept walking. He turned around when he realized that she wasn't moving any faster. "Hello? The point of a race is to actually _race_."

"Just thought that I'd give you a head start." She said before taking off in a slow jog.

"Hey! No fair!" House shouted after her as he limp/ran as fast as he could.

She stepped into the room and blew out a breath of air with laughter seeping through. Chase and Foreman had stopped what they were doing and were staring at her in confusion. House came in right at that moment. "That was so not cool, Cam."

"Really? I found it very cool, House." She shot back. "It appears as if we don't have a patient, so I'm going to go to the clinic." She walked out of the department, lab coat steaming behind her.

House didn't have to fake the obvious admiration of her ass as she left. Chase and Foreman each made a mental note to talk with Wilson and Cuddy as soon as they had a moment.

_Tuesday_

Once again, they met together in the parking lot, this time a little earlier than the day before.

"Alright, Cameron. We are on to phase two." House announced as Cameron walked over to him.

"Oh goodie." She said gleefully. "How confused do you think we should make them today?" The day before she had had all four of the others come and talk to her about House. Apparently, House had had death threats from all four about hurting Cameron. They were both looking forward to today and tomorrow, even if they'd never actually admit it to themselves.

He looped his free arm around her shoulders and they walked into the hospital together. This time, the only people at the front was the nurse on duty and a couple of patients. House sighed impatiently. "It's no fun to do this when they aren't here to witness it."

Cameron shrugged. "Maybe they're upstairs."

"Maybe." House hesitated before dipping her slightly and kissing her firmly. He righted her before she could react and smirked at the now gaping nurse.

Once safely in the elevator, Cameron turned to House. "What was that about?"

"What better way to confuse people," he said matter-of-factly, "then to start the rumor mill going?"

"Right." She raised an eyebrow and shook her head. She was beginning to think that they were getting in way over their heads.

_Wednesday_

Now she was sure that they were in over their heads. The day before, Wilson had cornered both of them together and had questioned them about what the gossipy nurse had told him. They had both denied it wholeheartedly and Wilson had left, not yet quite convinced. House knew that Wilson would have talked to Cuddy, so he was expecting her to be waiting in the lobby of the hospital.

Cuddy was walking into her office when she caught sight of them. Her eyes drifted down to their joined hands and then back up to their faces. "So it _is_ true."

"Is what true?" House put on the perfect face of confusion. "This _is_ a hospital, right? And I do work here, right?"

"Yes, House. We _both_ work here." Cameron's tone was annoyed, perfecting the beginning of phase three.

"You two being a couple." Cuddy didn't waste anymore time in asking. "Is that true?"

House pulled a childish face. "Us? A couple? Ew!" He contradicted his statement by holding onto Cameron's hand tighter and pulling her towards him a little. "Where on earth did you hear that?"

He dragged Cameron into the elevator. "Take a guess, Dr. Cuddy." He dipped Cameron into a passionate kiss, much more so than the day before, the doors closing on them. Once they were closed, House let her up. "This is becoming quite exciting! We should've thought of this months ago!"

Once they were safely in the diagnostics department, they separated and House went into his office and she started to make the coffee. They could soon hear the other two coming down the hall. House opened the door separating his office from the rest of the department and waggled his eyebrows. "Time to act like an old married couple, Cameron dear." When he knew that Foreman and Chase could hear them, he started to talk loudly. "Cam, I told you, I can't get rid of the hookers. I have a duty to them. Once their contract is up, _then_ you can have me all to yourself!"

Cameron shot him a look that said _was that the best you could come up with_ and joined in. "You told me that there was no one else!" She tried to sound hurt and betrayed.

The male ducklings entered and froze when they saw the face off. House was leaning on his cane and rubbing his face and Cameron was either close to tears or killing House.

House gave a convincing sigh of defeat. "Fine. I'll tell them that the contract is up."

"Thank-you." She sounded happy and smiled at him, turning back to the coffee.

The other two just gave each other strange looks. What was going on?

_Thursday_

"Remember, today you have to hate me." House announced as they prepared for day four.

"That won't be hard." Cameron muttered. "After what you said yesterday…"

"Then you'll be able to play in character." House interrupted.

"Fine." She stormed into the hospital, House close behind.

"Cameron, what is your problem today?" House paused and pretended to think. "Is it that time of month? Or are you pregnant?" Everyone in the waiting area turned to stare at the couple, Wilson and Cuddy included.

She turned around, the astonishment very close to being real. "You are my problem, House!"

"Me? I'm not the one who insisted on this everyday! That was you! I was more than content…"

"Just shut up. For once, House, just shut up." She disappeared up the stairs, not wanting to wait for the elevator.

House waited until the elevator was on its way up before grinning. The looks on Cuddy and Wilson's face were priceless when they saw Cameron and himself arguing.

_Friday_

Lunch time was a time when they could have 10 minutes to themselves to talk about what to do next to their four "friends." Both House and Cameron were quite amused at how confused Foreman, Chase, Cuddy, and Wilson were, not to mention the entirety of the hospital staff.

House opened his Rueben to check for pickles and nearly threw his sandwich at the wall. He instead settled for slamming his fist on the table.

Cameron jumped, not expecting the sudden loud noise. "What did they do now?"

"You heard me ask for no pickles, right?" House grumbled, ticked off.

His lunch companion looked amused. "You always ask for a Rueben, dry, with no pickles."

He gave an annoyed smirk, causing his eyes to close halfway. "Exactly."

Cameron refrained from grinning. "So what's wrong with it now? Did they put lettuce on or something? God forbid!" She out a hand on her chest in mock surprise.

House ignored the sarcastic tone she had adopted and shuddered. "Worse." He held out the sandwich. "They put cucumbers on. Cucumbers! They're worse than pickles!" He ranted in his snarky way and shuddered again. "I swear they do it just to annoy me."

Cameron finally grinned and rolled her eyes. "I'll take 'em." She took the sandwich and proceeded to de-cucumberfy his sandwich. "You know, eating vegetables won't kill you." She said, shaking a cucumber at him.

House just grabbed his un-cucumbered Reuben and took a bite. "Yes they will." He said in a childish voice. "The only thing they are good for is for getting an almost free meal. Salads are very cheep you know."

"I know." Cameron hid her grin behind her own sandwich as she took a bite. Her eyes suddenly bulged and she nearly choked on her food when she saw who entered the room.

House took note of this and frowned. "Cam, what's wrong?"

The nickname went unnoticed by her as she frantically, and hopefully discreetly, pointed at who she saw. "Wilson and Cuddy, 2 o'clock." She whispered fervently. "What do we do?"

His eyes glowed mischievously. "Leave that to me." He grinned, wagging his eyebrows suggestively. She would have made a remark, but a voice interrupted her thoughts.

"House, Cameron? What are you two doing here?" Cuddy actually seemed surprised that they were sitting together. However, her innocent tone didn't fool either of the other doctors in the slightest.

House spoke up first. "Having mad monkey sex." At the blank looks on the standing pair's faces, he grimaced. Cameron hid her face behind her napkin, willing herself not to either burst out laughing or hit him, trying to appear offended. "What does it look like we're doing? We are _eating_." House said in a don't-mess-with-me tone. "It's what people do when they are hungry."

"Yeah, but with Cameron?" Wilson couldn't help himself. "I thought you…"

"So I prefer eating with her to you. Get over it Jimmy. So how are the fun bags today, Cuddy? Letting them get some fresh air I see." House cut in. He threw Cameron such a swift apologetic look she thought she imagined it. 

Cuddy just glared at him. "House, could you stop with the sexual remarks at me for one day, please?"

He appeared to ponder this thought before shaking his head. "Nope, sorry. I reserve that for _special_ people." He used his fingers to quote 'special.'

"Well it would seem that Cameron certainly qualifies there." Wilson muttered, before wincing at the jab he received from a certain cane.

"I do qualify, thank you, Wilson. But you don't need to get jealous. You can still have your mad way with House after work." Cameron said smoothly, not daring to look at House for fear of laughing at the astonished look on Wilson's face. She turned to Cuddy. "As you can see, we are having lunch. We just happened to sit at the same table."

"And enter in at the same time." Wilson was on a roll. "Ouch, House cut it out!"

House tried to look innocent. "What? Me? I didn't do anything."

"House, clinic. Now." Cuddy ordered before storming off with Wilson close behind. When they were sure that the other two were gone, Cameron and House looked at each other and smirked.

"You were right." Cameron admitted finally, standing up with both hers and House's trash. "This has been quite an entertaining week!" They shared a grin as they walked out of the cafeteria, House heading to the clinic and Cameron heading off to run some more tests for the clinic.

Unbeknownst to them, Wilson and Cuddy had hidden behind the wall near the cafeteria and watched them leave. Wilson turned to Cuddy. "Did you see what I saw?"

"If you are referring to the return of the easy comradeship between them, yes I did." She said, just as stunned as Wilson.

"They've been messing with us this whole week!" Wilson suddenly realized, his voice held a slight hint of anger. "Now I am almost certain that this is more than a simple type of 'thanks for being by my side after I was shot' or 'I'm guilty that my scorn of patients caused my beautiful duckling to be shot' kind of friendship between them." Wilson's tone was disbelieving and hinting at what he was about to suggest next.

"Oh, no, James." Cuddy said warningly. "We are not going to ruin his life. We've already decided that we aren't going to butt in until he starts to screw it up. And seeing how Cameron went along with his plan to mess with our minds, I'd say he hasn't screwed up yet."

"But they're happy with each other!" He protested his eyes wide. "Something is bound to go wrong, especially since it is House, and I don't want to see him go down that road again!"

Cuddy shook her head. "Then stay out of it. I, for one, am not about to risk ruining this for him by plotting against the two of them. Besides, you heard the comments she made. He's roped her into the deep well of endless sarcasm. This week is another good example of why _not_ to interfere. Having the two of them planning pranks to get us back is not my idea of a good time, James."

"Whatever you say, Lisa." Wilson gave in reluctantly. He gave a wistful glance down the hall before heading off to his office.

Cuddy headed down to the clinic. If House wasn't there, he'd pay dearly for it. He had forced Chase and Foreman to do both his and Cameron's clinic hours for most of the week and she wasn't going to stand by and see it happen for the rest of the week.

xXx

The moment Wilson was in his office, he locked the door. He sat in his chair and tried to convince himself that it wasn't his business to meddle. _I've already messed up enough of his life; he doesn't need this on top of it._

But his desire of having assurance won out. He stood up and closed the blinds. This call was top secret, at least from House. He tapped his pen as the other line rang. He was just about to hang up when a breathless voice sounded from the other end. "Hello?"

Wilson spun around and leaned back, fiddling with the phone cord. "Hello, Stacy, it's James. How's life?"

xXx

"Dr. House, signing in, 12:35. I'll be in exam room one, with a patient." House announced as he picked up the first file. "Great. He's got a sore throat. I don't even have to go into the exam room." He rolled his eyes and clunked down the short hall to the exam room. Banging the door open, he stepped into the room, looking around suspiciously as if making sure the coast was clear before glancing at the patient. The man sitting on the exam table was looking at House as if he had gone insane. "Hi. I'm Dr. House." He closed the door and leaned against the wall, thumbing through the file. "What seems to be your problem Bill?"

"It's Bud." The man said, annoyed. "Are you actually my doctor?"

House glanced up, an annoyed expression obvious on his face. "Duh. You think I'd be here if I wasn't?"

"Well, I'd figure that as a doctor…"

"I'd what? Be nice?" House glared at Bud. "Sorry, I left my bedside manner at the old folks manor today."

"Uh, oh-kay. My throat hurts." The man glared back at House.

House tightened his jaw and nodded once. "I gathered that."

"It feels as if something is burning every time I swallow."

"You have a sore throat." House interrupted. "Take some Advil, and buy some throat lozenges." He moved towards the door. "Bye now." He left the man sitting there astounded and annoyed. "Next!" House announced, grabbing the next file and walking towards exam room three. This room had two occupants, a mom and her daughter.

House stepped into the room and groaned. "It's crowd. Everyone wants the G-man."

The mom stopped pacing and took in House and his cane in her gaze, ignoring his evident sarcasm. "They sent a cripple to diagnose my daughter?"

House just raised an eyebrow. "Crippled _doctor_. Don't forget the doctor bit. Just because I use a cane doesn't mean my brain is broken." He reached into his pocket and pulled out the vicodin, popping one into his mouth. "And right now, the leg hurts. So, Sarah, what happened that mommy is so concerned about."

"She fell." The mom injected quickly.

House shot her a look. "I asked her."

"She's five. She can't…"

House interrupted her sarcastically. "Oh, you overprotective types. Always underestimating the underdogs. Yes she can. Now, Sarah, what happened?"

"I fell down." She whispered shyly.

House refrained from rolling his eyes again. "No…that's what mommy said. What really happened?"

The little girl looked scared. "I did. I did fall down."

House shook his head. "What, Sarah. What did you fall down?"

"The stairs."

House turned to the mother. "The stairs? Are you a moron? What happened to those wonderful baby gates that used to be all the rage? You know, the one's that prevented things like this from happening?"

"She's five."

"Yeah, you mentioned that. Point being?" House said annoyed. "You do realize that at age five, that while she is very capable of answering questions, she is still incapable of realizing that stairs aren't quite the same a solid, flat ground? Put some gates up, and she'll be fine." He ran his hands over her arms and legs and nodded. "Nothing's broken. Just give her child's Tylenol for the pain and use those nifty gates so it doesn't happen again." He left the room and looked at the clock at the nurses' station. "12:45. Great. I've only been here 10 minutes." He sighed then grinned. He knew how to escape Cuddy. He'd go to the one place she'd never look.

xXx

The case load wasn't much of a load. In fact, there was nothing.

At all.

Cameron sat answering House's email and snail mail while Chase sat working on his crossword puzzles. Foreman had resorted to lying on the floor and counting the number of pens and pencils that House had thrown there while Cameron was still a patient. So far he was at 20, but he wasn't sure. He kept loosing count.

"What is a seven letter word for shortness of breath?" Chase asked suddenly.

"Dyspnea." Foreman and Cameron answered in unison.

He frowned, counted out the number of letters, and shrugged. "Thanks."

"What do you guys think? You think House would be willing to speak at the next conference?" Cameron turned and addressed the other two occupants in the room.

"What do you think?" Foreman asked incredulously.

"No." They all said in unison, laughing together. She turned back to the computer. "So that's a decline on, I believe, four today. That's 15 from the past week or so. You'd think people would get the picture by now that House doesn't do speeches, especially after Vogler."

"Yeah, you'd think. Ouch!" Foreman muttered as a pencil fell from its firm grip on the ceiling. "Damn it, lost count again. One, two, three…"

"You'd think we'd have a case." Cameron interrupted. "Why don't we have a case?"

"Because, in order for us to even have a case, House has to find it remotely interesting. Nothing has interested him lately." Chase shrugged, putting his puzzle book down with a small grin. "But, it would seem that some_one _has been catching his interest."

Foreman sat up at Chase's comment. "Yeah, I've noticed that as well. Cameron, what do you think?"

She avoided looking at either of them. "I have no idea what you are referring to. House has every right to talk to and show interest in whomever he desires." She said firmly, hoping that they would drop the subject. Her hopes were dashed in the next moment.

"No, I believe you do know what and who we are referring to." Foreman threw a wad of paper at her. "Spill. You two have been messing with our minds this whole week. What's going on between you two?"

Cameron laughed and dodged the paper. "Nothing, honest."

"Right." Chase said, not convinced at all. "If I believed that, I'd eat my lab coat."

"So eat your lab coat. Nothing is going on between us." Cameron insisted irritably, standing up. "I'm done here, so I am going to go find something to do. If either of you need me, or if House somehow gets a case, page me." She walked out of the room before either guy could say anything.

xXx

Cameron found herself climbing the stairs to the roof access. She stepped out onto the roof of the hospital and closed the metal door as quietly as she could. She slowly made her way towards the edge of the roof and ignored the wind as it blew her hair into her eyes. The last time she was up here was a week and a half ago. This time, she stood there not fearful of going back to work, but contemplating life. She was enjoying the solitude when the door opened and the metal door banged loudly on the brick wall. She turned around to see House standing there.

"I see you had the same idea I had." He smirked, walking towards her.

She nodded, watching as he grew slowly closer to her. "I had to get away from those two."

"You know, if we keep meeting like this, people are going to suspect something." He said cautiously.

"They already do." She noted wryly. "Our antics this week insured that."

"Point taken." He nodded, standing directly in front of her. She smiled softly and turned away, facing over the city of Princeton. He moved beside her and they stood there in silence. "Chase wants you." He said softly.

"What does he need?" Cameron turned to him. "Do we have a patient?'

House shook his head. "I didn't say he needs you. He wants you."

Realization dawned on her and she started to laugh. "He _wants_ me? As in, 'I like you so I want to sleep with you again,' wants me?"

House nodded mutely, curious at her reaction.

"How do you know? Has he said anything?"

He shook his head again. "I…can see it."

"That's rich." Cameron's laughter died down, though traces of amusement lingered in her voice. "I definitely don't want him."

House felt his heart rate return to normal, and he suddenly realized he was annoyed at himself for realizing his heart rate had changed in the first place. Cameron wasn't his, he thought moodily, not officially. And until he could work up the courage and the balls to make it so, she was still open to the public, so to speak.

She felt herself grow sad at the gloomy expression that filled his face. _He just needs time and space._ She assured herself. "I'm going back downstairs." She walked over to the door and turned to face him again. "Don't worry; I'm not going to tell them anything, and I'm not going to go rush off and marry Chase." The part about Chase was said in a teasing tone as she left.

House just watched her leave the roof. He wasn't worried that she'd tell. He was worried that something was going to wrong and that she _would_ run off with Chase. In fact, he knew something was going to go wrong. He could feel it. Kaeyla's latest email ran though his head.

_Greg, _

_I feel that I must warn you. Robert Chase's emails are becoming quite frequent, as well as his obvious admiration and liking of my daughter. Greg, you had better stake your claim if you want her. I know you don't think that I understand you, but I think that you'd be surprised. Maybe someday you can meet my husband. I think you two would get along wonderfully. Perhaps if you met him, you would be more likely to accept Allison's affection for you. Let me know what you think._

_Kaeyla_

House had yet to reply because he had had no idea what to say to that. Now he knew just how he was going to reply. He closed the door to his office and flipped the blinds closed.

_Kaeyla,_

_I want to thank you for bringing Chase to my attention. I will make sure that I make his life living hell for the next few days. As for 'staking my claim', that is a process that is a long time away. I'm sure you've been able to tell during our conversations that I have a problem with opening up to people. I will, however, tell you that our 'date' went successfully; as I'm sure Allison has already told you. _

_As for meeting your husband, I think that that can be arranged._

_Greg_

xXx

AN: Well, there ya go! Officially the longest one yet, of ANY of my stories. 13 pages on word, baby! If anyone has idea's on how to improve this chapter…because I hate it. A lot.


	10. Minor Changes

Story Title: Touch of Destiny

Chapter 10: Minor Changes

Chapter summery: Cameron's put in charge, House meets some interesting people, and Chase is forced to face reality.

Disclaimer: Not mine, unless you don't recognize a character. Then it is mine, and you shouldn't take it.

xXx

AN: Alright…this is getting great!! BTW…I have no medical knowledge…so if it doesn't seem right, it probably isn't. Though I do use the Mayo Clinic websites…haha! And if the format is confusing, let me know. I'll explain it.

The Great Susinko: Thanks! I need to hear words of encouragement like that. Thanks for reminding me that they're in character even if they aren't….if that makes sense… haha!

saz89: Yay! I'll update…now:D

sweetgreuy: All shall be revealed in due time, my dear. Patience…

SapereAude: Thanks!

AnybodysBaby: Thanks dear! I'm glad you need me to update. I try to update when I can. :D

Colonelheather: I aim to please! Don't hit refresh too much…it takes awhile to write a chapter!

Guardian.Ghost: House is going to take his time…it is House, after all. Yeah, I agree with you…STAKE THE CLAIM ALREADY! But…like I told sweetgreuy…all in due time.

Obsessedwithstabler: (Holds hands up in surrender) Okay okay! Sorry!! And as for H&S….You are evil!!!

Bethsmom: Yeah, I would have written more about what happened during the week, but it was actually an afterthought. I wasn't even going to put that part in. So, maybe I'll do "flashbacks" or something like that…

Splante: I was having a moment of major insecurity. Thanks for the support!! And don't worry about Wilson. He's being…Wilson.

House.Cam-xx: That's sweet! Yeah, I felt much better about Chapter 9 once people started reviewing. I guess I need a new life goal now….hmmmm

LittleDragonfly23: Yup, they know. What will they do now….we must wonder…. :D

SilvaK: I'm glad House is still House-like. We'll see how this chapter goes…

breakaway01: Thanks! Yeah, I need to be reminded to slow down sometimes…I just wanted to get at least two chapters out while I was on break.

xxBuffyfreakxx: (smirks) All will work out in the end. Never fear! I am a House/Cam shipper, NOT a Cam/Chase shipper. So don't worry. And yes, it is fun to mess with people's heads. (evil grin)

Gabunny: I'm glad this has kept your interest! It's always a plus for a writer when she (or he) hears that her (or his) writing is interesting!

xXx

As of yet, Cameron hadn't found out about House's frequent correspondence with her mom. But he knew that even he couldn't hide it from Cameron forever. He contemplated Mrs. Cameron's latest request.

_Why don't you come out this weekend? We will meet you at where ever you want to meet us at. Give me a call or drop me an email._

House had actually called her and arranged for three days to spend in Baltimore with the Cameron's at their place. Now all he had to do was find a way to "stake his claim" as Kaeyla insisted on him doing. Maybe she'd have some ideas for him.

The only thing Cuddy was aware of was that House was requesting three days vacation. She had granted it with great confusion. Where was House going for three days? Cameron wasn't going, so it couldn't be with her. And when she questioned House all she got was a smirk and a cane pushing her out of the way.

A note was found written on the whiteboard when the three underlings came in on Monday morning.

_Hello Ducklings,_

_Cameron is in charge. Listen to her._

_House_

_PS: In case you have an argument with this, Foreman, you've already had your chance. Chase, you are inept, so that rules you out. Cameron, don't make me regret putting you in charge._

_PPS: I will know if you two don't listen to her._

_PPPS: Chase, keep your grimy paws of Cameron. I'll know if you so much as look at her in a sexual manner._

_GH_

The three just stared at each other in shock before Cameron slowly sat down. "He put _me_ in charge?" Then his last statement sunk in and a grin showed before she hid it. "Keep your grimy paws off. That was funny."

The look Chase shot her was one that said he disagreed with her amusement. _That wasn't proving it, House,_ he thought moodily, slouching in his chair while Foreman and Cameron shared a laugh.

xXx

The moment Greg stepped into the passenger waiting area; he knew exactly who Kaeyla Cameron was. She was standing a little ways from the passenger exit and was scanning the crowd for him, he assumed. She looked exactly like Allison, only her hair was graying and she was a little heavier than her daughter, but the family resemblance was obvious. When she caught sight of him, he wasn't surprised to see a huge grin cross her face and she started to wave.

"Over here, Greg!"

_As if I need her to yell across the airport at me so I know who she is_, he thought wryly, the feeling of dread starting to fade. With a short nod, he adjusted his bag hanging over his shoulder and limp-stepped over to her.

"It's Mumsy Dearest!" House's tone took on a babyish lilt and she laughed.

"It's Greggy-poo!" She laughed again at the death look he shot her and she reached out to give him a hug.

He rolled his eyes and let her hug him briefly before stepping back. "So, you're Kaeyla Cameron."

"And you're Gregory House." She said back. "Let's go get your things. My husband is waiting for us down at the luggage claim."

xXx

"Why is it when House is gone, we finally get a case?" Cameron muttered as she picked up the file Cuddy had dropped onto the table. Chris Morrison, the file read.

"It's called Murphy's Law." The Dean of Medicine said as she left. "He strikes when you don't want him to. Good luck, and if you need me, call."

"Thanks for the support." She rolled her eyes and turned to attention to the boys. "25 year old male with an unexplained headache, nausea, stiff neck, and hair loss. What's the differential diagnosis?" She stated, walking to the whiteboard and uncapping the pen, writing down the symptoms. She could already feel a headache coming on.

"Do NOT start acting like House." Chase moaned. "I beg of you, Cameron, please!"

Foreman ignored Chase and thumbed through the file. "How about we start with analyzing the symptoms? Unexplained headache, nausea…"

"…stiff neck and hair loss." Cameron finished, annoyed. "Did I forget anything?" She asked sarcastically.

"Nope." He said with a small smile at her sarcastic tone.

"Good. Now if you're done repeating everything I say, let's return to my original question. What's the differential diagnosis?" She asked again, looking at each of them in the eye as if to remind them who was now the boss, even if it was only temporary.

xXx

The first thing he noticed about Mr. Cameron was the cane, almost identical to the one he had to use when Wilson sawed his other one in half. Without thinking, he nodded to the cane and smirked. "You fall off a train?"

"Landmine decided to become better friends with me in Viet Nam." The man glared at him. "You have a run-in with a semi?"

"Thigh muscle rebelled before committing suicide." He snarked with his own glare. The two men held each others gazes before Mr. Cameron relaxed a bit and held out his hand. "Name's Bill."

House noticed his bag and struggled to grab it off the carousel. Kaeyla moved to help him, but a glare from Bill stopped her. House somehow managed to get his bag onto the ground and sighed with relief that he remembered to grab the one with wheels. He took his hand and shook it. "Greg."

"I'd say that it's nice to meet you, but we'll wait until I know what you're like." Bill stated as they headed towards the car. House let a small smirk escape. He liked this man already.

Kaeyla just grinned at House as they walked as if to say _told ya so_.

xXx

Cameron snapped the lid back on to the pen and tapped it on her chin. "So that's it?" She asked, staring at the short list skeptically. "Meningitis, a migraine, or a tension headache? No wonder House calls us idiots. Cuddy wouldn't have given the patient to us if it were the last two, and the other doctors already ruled out meningitis. Something else, anything!"

"You asked us what we thought." Chase shot angrily. "That's all we can come up with!"

"No, I asked for a differential." Cameron glared at him. "That means to use your damn brain! If it were a migraine, he wouldn't be here on our whiteboard. Same with a tension headache." She sighed and rubbed her temples with her fingers. "We're missing something, but until we can figure out what that something is, we need a full history. Chase, get on that. Foreman, run his blood and run a broad spectrum for any autoimmune, and get a spinal tap to retest for meningitis."

She walked into House's office and collapsed into his desk chair as the two boys left. How did House handle this on a daily basis? She unconsciously picked up his ball and tossed it from hand to hand, staring at the board. A thousand ideas ran through her head but she pushed them aside when they didn't match what symptoms they had. A beeping brought her attention down.

_Patient seizing_

She sighed and walked over to the board, scribbling down the latest symptom. She stepped back and leaned against the table, her mind racing to figure out the puzzle.

xXx

House took the back seat of the small car the Cameron's owned after shoving his bag and computer bag into the trunk. Bill's wood cane was beside him on the seat as well as his own collapsed cane and he rubbed his leg subconsciously, willing the pain to go away so he wouldn't have to take pills in front of his hosts. It didn't work. Trying to be discrete, he popped the lid and shook out two pills. He glanced up in time to see Bill down his own set of pills. With a smirk, House dry swallowed his two vicodin and turned to stare out the window.

"So, Greg." Bill spoke suddenly. "What do you do for a living?"

"I'm a doctor."

"So is Allie." If House listened hard enough, Bill almost sounded amused. "And I can guarantee that you aren't an immunologist."

House smiled slightly. "I'm a certified diagnostician with a double specialty of infectious diseases and nephrology. I'm department head, and I have three in my fellowship. Cameron, Allison, is one of them." He almost added that he was also a world-renown pain-in-the-ass, but decided that mentioning that with his actual profession was _not_ a good way to get on Bill's good side.

"You call my daughter by her last name?" Bill's tone was turning dangerous.

"Yes. It's not as professional as calling each of us doctor and it isn't familiar enough to be too personal." House found himself explaining and willed himself to stop talking. He didn't want to reveal too much too soon.

xXx

All the patient history told them was that no one in his family died of unknown causes and that he was hiking in a forest in Connecticut about a week prior to being hospitalized. Nothing Chase got was helpful to their case, and she was starting to become frustrated.

Cameron was back at the board, staring at it as if the answer would suddenly jump out at her. She was startled when someone placed a hand on her shoulder. "Oh, Wilson." She breathed a sigh of relief before turning back to the board. "Something else happen?"

"Foreman wanted me to tell you that the spinal tap was negative for meningitis. He's still working on the blood tests." Wilson said simply, watching her. They stood there in silence for a bit before Wilson cleared his throat. "You haven't even been to see the patient yet."

"I'm trying to save the patient, not make friends with him." She muttered grouchily.

He nodded, rubbing his hand over his face tiredly. "House is rubbing off on you, Cameron."

"I at least _want_ to visit him! That is much more than House can manage." She whirled around, anger in her voice and on her face. "I know he's rubbing off on me, Wilson, and I'm not too happy about that. But House put _me_ in charge. I have to find a cure; I have to solve the puzzle. If House were in charge, I'd be in there with the patient. But he's not. I'm in charge." She emphasized the "I's" as she spoke.

Wilson grinned. "Nice to know you still have a conscience at least." He patted her shoulder and left her staring at the board once more.

Her pager went off again. She glanced at it and sighed, writing _high fever_ on the list of symptoms before heading down to the patient's room, her lab coat billowing out behind her.

xXx

The Cameron's residence was small and quaint, a little farm-style house just outside the city. It wasn't on a farm, but it was out in the country. He took one whiff of the air as he stepped out of the car and a genuine smile escaped. It had been awhile since he had been out of the city.

Kaeyla led him down the hall to the guest room. He was extremely grateful that the house was only one level and guessed it was because of Bill's leg that stairs were nonexistent in the house.

As he toed off his shoes, he took a brief look around. The room was simply decorated yet had a homey sort of feel to it. He had a feeling that the room wasn't used much. A movement at the door turned his head to see Bill standing there.

"This is Allie's room when she's home." He said gruffly before turning and walking down the hall, the sound of the cane clicking on the wood floor.

House took another look around the room and tried to imagine Cameron living here. He could see her as a teenager talking on the phone with a friend or as a med student staying up late nights at the desk in the corner cramming for that exam the next day. He pulled a scowl when he realized that he was smiling at the thought of Cameron in the room.

_Damn it, I'm becoming soft._

xXx

Cameron walked briskly down the hall towards the patient's room, trying not to think about her short conversation with Wilson. She could hear the commotion from down the hall.

"His temp is 104.5 and rising rapidly." Chase announced to the orderlies in the room who were putting icepacks on and around the patient, his voice surprisingly calm.

"Then why isn't he in an ice bath!" Cameron yelled at Chase as she entered the room. "His fever is at 104.5!"

"104.9." Chase ignored her and continued to call out the steadily rising temperature.

"Chase! Five more points and he could die. He needs to be put in an ice bath."

"We can't!" Chase finally yelled back. "Cuddy won't let us without his authorization. He'll be in too much pain and…"

"Screw Cuddy." Cameron snapped without thinking. Chase just stared at her. "What?" She asked impatiently.

"You just said to screw Cuddy." Chase asked, astonished. "You are willing to break the rules?"

"If it means saving the patient, yes." Cameron said firmly, not having to even think about it.

Chase just stared at her in shock. "House isn't supposed to be rubbing off on you, Cameron."

"We are supposed to be learning from him, Chase. That is the point of a fellowship!" She glared at him and turned to the orderlies in the room. "Ice bath, stat!"

She was busy helping to put Charlie, Chuck, whatever his name was in the bath so she didn't see Chase leave the room, a determined look on his face.

xXx

Much to House's surprise, Bill helped Kaeyla in the kitchen with the meal. House had limped out there without his cane to get a glass of water and was surprised to find the couple cooking lunch. Bill had his arm around Kayela's waist and was sneaking a bite of pasta from the fork she was testing it with. She hit his shoulder playfully and he dropped a quick kiss on her lips.

House observed them unnoticed for awhile before deciding that he wasn't all that thirsty and slowly made his way down the hall, feeling like he had intruded on a private moment.

He flopped himself down on the bed and stared at the ceiling, wondering at Bill's behavior in the kitchen. At the airport, Bill had seemed just as gruff and miserable as House was, but that sense of peace, love, and playfulness around his wife wasn't faked.

_Maybe, just maybe…_

He debated calling Cameron before logic won and he instead kept torturing himself with his thoughts.

xXx

The patient was currently stable after going through another seizure, dropping a cup of water on himself, puking all over Chase when the blinds to the outside window were opened, and freaking out once he realized that he couldn't see the nurses and doctors. Meningitis was crossed out and three more symptoms were added to the list. She stared at the growing list with frustration. Headache, nausea, stiff neck, hair loss, seizures, high fever, weakness, light sensitivity, and loss of some vision.

"Differential." She said wearily, facing her coworkers with a determined look on her face.

"Brain tumor." Foreman said finally. "Explains everything."

"Nothing ever explains everything." Cameron muttered, writing down _brain tumor_. "Anything else?"

"MS." Chase spoke up, having changed into some scrubs while his clothes washed.

"Okay." She said slowly, writing down MS. "Do another lumbar puncture after an MRI. We need to see what's going on in Charlie's brain. The MRI will cover both the tumor and the MS."

"It's Chris." Foreman stated as he stood up.

Cameron just waved him off distractedly. "Whatever."

They left after scrutinizing her a bit and she was left once more staring at the board. The solution was on the tip of her brain, but she couldn't grasp what it was.

xXx

Lunch was amazing. House figured that if Cameron could cook half as well as her mother, well, he'd never go out to eat again.

When he sat down at the table to eat, the friendliness Bill had shown with his wife was gone, leaving behind the bitter man House had first seen. However, whenever he spoke to his wife, or his wife spoke to him, he was gentle and even smiled.

_Hell, if he can do it, so can I._ House thought to himself as he twirled his spaghetti on his fork. "Good food, Kaeyla."

"Thanks." She smiled. "The sauce is homemade. Allison has the recipe if you want to get it from her."

"I might just do that." House found himself smiling in return and inwardly winced. _Softy!_ His mind seemed to yell. He ignored the inner voice and tilted his chin up slightly. "Is there dessert?" He tried not to sound too hopeful.

She laughed lightly as she cleared off the table. "You and my husband. Yes, there is dessert."

The serious talk was going to happen that afternoon at the soonest, he could sense it. Or maybe he was just feeling weird with the looks he was receiving from Bill…

xXx

All the MRI revealed was a slight swelling that was unexplained, and the lumbar puncture revealed nothing new. They debated what else it could be before Cameron had sent them down to the clinic to do both theirs and her clinic hours while she thought.

Chase went to Cuddy to complain again and Cuddy just smiled. "She's growing. Let her grow. House knew what he was doing when he put her in charge."

Chase grumbled as he left Cuddy's office. He needed to find a way to woo Cameron before House returned. But how could he do so without insuring the emanate wrath of House?

Cameron was once again in House's chair, the white board no longer any use to her. She had memorized it. She had briefly debated calling House but she didn't want to hear his criticisms about how inept she was at her job. She wanted to prove that she could solve the case just as well as he could. She had sent Chase and Foreman home and was now tossing the ball in the air and catching it while she thought. Everything Chase had found about the patient as well as all his symptoms in the order they appeared ran through her mind as if it were an old movie. She paused as a realization entered her mind.

She walked briskly down the hall to the patient's room. She observed the closed blinds and quietly walked into the room. He turned his face to her. "You're Dr. House?"

Cameron shook her head. "No, I'm Dr. Cameron. I'm the attending since Dr. House is currently out of town."

"Oh." He sighed. "I figured that with your reputation, you would be one of the first to visit, not last. I had guessed you were gone."

She gave a small smile. "I'm trying to figure out what is wrong with you. Tell me, where were you a week before this happened?"

"It's just like I told Dr. Chase. I was on vacation to Connecticut and went on a hike. Nothing relevant." He sounded bored.

"Did you get bit by anything? Mosquito, tick, anything?"

He shrugged. "Probably. Yeah, most likely. Why?"

She didn't answer. She was already gone and heading back down the hall, ready to go home and rest. She knew what was wrong. She didn't know how she knew; all she knew was that she _knew_. She just had to make sure, and her books were at home. Granted, House had the same books in the office, but she wanted an excuse to go home.

xXx

House was right about Kaeyla wanting to talk; he just didn't think that she would wait for the serious stuff until after dinner was cleaned up. He noticed that Bill had escaped into a different room, probably the bedroom.

"So, Greg, tell me. Why are you so hesitant to accept that my daughter cares for you?"

House was momentarily floored. He stared at the floor, unsure how to answer. He looked up briefly, his look one of a tortured man.

She smiled softly. "That's what I thought. You and my husband are so much alike." She leaned forward in her seat and watched House intently. "You can't accept the fact that she is in love with you. You think that she's only interested because you are _damaged_." She used her fingers to quote 'damaged' and continued. "The truth of it is, Greg, is that she doesn't see how damaged you are, nor does she see your apparent inability to love. She sees you." She took his silence and his intent stare as a signal that he was listening and that she should continue.

"Greg, Allison has a big heart, as I'm sure you've noticed from working with her. She also has great faith in humanity. What you don't know is that all that almost died when she was 15." At the almost horrified look on his face, she hurried to ease his mind. "No, it wasn't her. It was her best friend."

"What happened?" He found himself asking when Kaeyla paused in the story for longer than he was comfortable with.

She gave a sad smile. "Drunk driver ran a red light going 90 in a 30 zone. Turns out it was one of her classmates. Good kid, bad choice. After the funeral, she wouldn't leave for a month. We had to practically force-feed her so that she'd live. It took a couple of years for her to become the Allie we know and love today."

She paused again, gauging his reaction. He was staring blankly at the wall behind her. She stood and touched his shoulder. "Think about what I've told you, Greg." She left behind a House who remained motionless and deep in thought for an hour until he finally got up and went to bed, his mind whirling.

xXx

**Cameron had a smirk on her face that both Foreman and Chase immediately recognized as the 'I've solved the case' smirk House usually wore.**

**"What is it?" Foreman asked. He and Chase were rubbing their eyes, trying to wake up from the abrupt wakeup call.**

**"The patient was in Connecticut." She said simply, her tone proud and smug all at the same time.**

**Both Chase and Foreman looked annoyed. "You called us here early to tell us something we already know?" Chase asked, pissed.**

**"What does Connecticut have?"**

**They both drew blank looks. "Forests, cars, towns…?"**

**Cameron rolled her eyes. "Lyme disease."**

**Foreman shook his head. "He doesn't have…"**

**"He has primary encephalitis." Cameron interrupted. "Caused by the lyme disease. Biopsy his brain if you don't believe me." **

**"We aren't authorized to do a brain biopsy." Foreman insisted.**

**She smirked and handed him the forms. "Then go get authorized."**

xXx

The next morning, House awoke to sunlight burning his face. With quick look around, he realized that the house was quiet. Reaching down for his cane, he groaned as he struggled to his feet and winced when the pain shot up his leg. He dug in his pocket for his vicodin and took two, sighing in relief as they slid down his throat. He dressed quickly, hungry for something to eat. With a grimace, he limped into the kitchen to grab a glass of water and some breakfast. A note caught his eye.

_Greg, _

_We went out to the store to grab something special for lunch. Make yourself at home. Explore any room you want except the master bed, please._

_Kaeyla_

Although the temptation to go into the master bed was great, he respected her wishes and settled for just exploring the open rooms. He poked his head into the sunroom and let a low whistle out when he saw what was sitting in the corner. There, protected from the sun, sat a baby grand piano.

With a reverence only a musician could understand, House moved towards the magnificent instrument. He ran a hand over the shiny black of the top before opening the lid covering the soundboard. He lifted the lid covering the keys as he took a seat on the padded bench, running his fingers over the keys lightly, not making a noise. He finally gave in to desires and positioned his fingers in a "C" chord, closing his eyes in pleasure at the magnificent sound that emitted from the soundboard. He began to slowly play random chords and scales, relishing in the sound before an original composition began to form from his fingers.

He never heard the Cameron's come home, nor did he see Kaeyla smile at him from the door, so absorbed in his music was he. Gregory Daniel House was in his element, that much was evident.

xXx

It hadn't taken much convincing to get Chris to sign the forms authorizing for a biopsy. He was a bit wary at first at the thought of them taking a bit of his brain, but once Foreman had explained that the part of the brain that they were taking a sample from was less risky than any other brain biopsy, Chris gladly signed. He just wanted to get well, out of the hospital, and back home.

The biopsy went by with no complications and once the patient was back in his room, Chase and Foreman were in the lab analyzing the sample from the biopsy. Wilson was in the lab as well, fiddling with his own microscope, smirking as the scene unfolded before him.

"Chase, take a look at this." Foreman had taken the first examination of the sample.

Chase walked over and took a peak. "Oh my god."

They looked at each other in disbelief.

"Cameron was right." Chase shook his head slowly. "She was actually right."

Neither of them wanted to tell her that she was right. They didn't need a smug Cameron on their hands. But they had no choice, and so they slowly made their way back up to the diagnostic's department.

What they didn't know was that Cuddy had a spy in the lab with them. Once they were gone, Wilson grinned and headed up to Cuddy's office. She was going to be pleased with this new bit of information.

xXx

The music filled the house. Greg had no idea how long he sat there, completely absorbed in the sweet sounds of the piano. He had no way of knowing that his hosts were currently in the kitchen preparing dinner to his music. One great classic followed another. Bach, Handel, Mozart, and Beethoven. He soon traversed into the more modern pieces, taking some of his favorite songs from The Rolling Stones, the Who, and the Beatles and turning them into classical pieces.

He tilted his head back and closed his eyes, a smile gracing his features as he moved from The Stones to a song he had heard Cameron listening to the other day, Listen to your Heart. He had no idea what the words were, he just liked the piano part. Just as he finished the song and was about to go into another one of his original pieces, the sound of something dropping alerted him to another's presence in the house.

With a look of embarrassment, he closed the piano up and gently lowered the lid to cover the sound board once more. He ran his hand over the lid as he limped by, feeling more at peace having played the marvelous instrument.

No one made a comment when he entered the kitchen. Without a word, he took the plates from Kaeyla and set the table, trying to let her know that he was available to help without actually volunteering. Bill just watched House with a calculating eye, seeming to judge his every move. Normally, House would be unnerved by the constant watching, but to his great surprise, let it roll.

_Damn it again. What is happening to me?_

xXx

Cameron was floating. That was the best way to describe how she moved. When Chase and Foreman reluctantly told her that her diagnosis was correct, she rejoiced internally while keeping a cool exterior. _Take that, House!_

She ordered the battery of treatments and sent them to heal the man while she stared at the board for a moment. She had done it. She, Allison Joy Cameron, had actually solved a case without the help of House. _So this is what it feels like! No wonder House like solving puzzles._ With a content sigh, she slowly erased the board before walking into House's office and collapsing on the couch. She needed to rest before going home so she wouldn't crash her car on the way home.

xXx

AN: The piano part to Listen to Your Heart is beautiful. I wish that I could play by ear, because I'd play that. Oh, it's pretty. Ahhh…I love piano music.

And I figured that if Cameron was thrust into being department head for a few days she'd take charge pretty well. Hence why she was a bit more…House-like than normal…

Oh, BTW…14 pages!! What the heck?? LOL! I hope ya'll know that this isn't the norm…I usually have a hard time getting 8 or 9 pages…hmmm. Love ya'll!!


	11. Broken Rules and Regulations

Story Title: Touch of Destiny

Chapter 11: Broken Rules and Regulations 

Chapter summery: Back to the hospital, patients, and avoiding Cuddy.

xXx

Disclaimer: Not mine, unless you don't recognize a character. Then it is mine, and you shouldn't take it.

AN: Woot! That last chapter was fun! Now onto the next installment. I think that I'm having waaaay to much fun with this! And here is a random quote, just for you:

"_A computer lets you make more mistakes faster than any other invention in human history, with the possible exception of handguns and tequila."_

Ahhh, that's humor for you. I have NO clue where I found that….hehe!

xXx

Obsessedwithstabler: I had fun with this chapter! And you need to stop being so evil…

House.Cam-xx: LOL! I like that story. : P Thanks! I really liked writing the chapter!

Cherry Blossom 4 Ever: House will return. Chase will be dealt with…eventually (evil grin) What's a good House/Cam story without angst?

saz89: That is a possibility…it's always a possibility. I'm glad you think that it's bloody brilliant! I thought I was the only one who used "bloody" but I guess that's just because I'm an American. I get strange looks from people around me when I say "bloody hell" or something like that. HAHA! I'm glad I can make you smile dear.

Sweetgreuy: No one knew where he was going. This means Cameron has NO idea that House has met her parents. MWAHAHAHA!!! Oh the drama! And yes, they are so perfect for each other. :P

SilvaK: Well, I figured that if Cameron was thrust into a position like that, she'd react in the way I had her react. And as for House being human, I'd guess that not even House would be rude around two people he actually wants to accept him.

xxBuffyfreakxx: Yay! It makes sense! Lol. I'm glad you like the chapter!

AnybodysBaby: LOL! I would update everyday, but alas, I am not able to. But I will update when I can, I promise you this.

SapereAude: Hehe! Neither can I…and here it is! Yay!

Colonelheather: Yay for amazingness. I think I'm going to try for…freaking awesome this time around…lol

Dayamiracle: Yeah, that was the point that Cam's mom was trying to make. Yeah, Cameron in charge is great, isn't it? Makes ya wonder…

LittleDragonfly23: Don't worry. Cameron is still Cameron. She will never fully become House. I won't let it happen!!

Guardian.Ghost: Keep in mind…House hasn't gotten the girl yet. But he will; he always does in the Cam/House stories. The happy stories, anyway.

Alexandretta: I'm glad you are enjoying it! I will update when I can, that is a promise. Can't promise any more than that, sadly enough. I wish I could update everyday or even every other day, but I alas, I cannot.

breakaway01: Lol! I love that song too, but more importantly, I love the piano part. Hope this chapter wasn't too long in coming…

Sociopathic Assassin: Which ever version involves the soft piano part…not the techno version.

xXx

Cuddy was glowing, House decided as he walked into the hospital after his 'vacation' with the Cameron's. "Get laid while I was gone?" He snarked as he made his way to the elevator.

"Nope." Not even his sexual remarks could quell her excitement. "Cameron solved the case."

This made House pause. "What case?" He scrutinized her, his eyes growing squinty.

"The one that came in right after you left." She handed him the patient file and he tucked his cane under his arm, giving her a side glance before opening the file. "She actually solved the case." She sounded amazed.

"One of my duckies…" His expression remained placid as he read the file and he met Cuddy's eyes over the top of the page. "Cool, huh?" He smirked and headed towards the elevator, tucking the file under his arm.

"Actually House, I need to speak with you about it in my office." Cuddy's voice stopped him and he turned around.

"You just want to get into my pants." He said with a sarcastic smirk. "Sure, Cuddy! I would _love_ to have sex with you in your office!" He yelled, effectively catching the attention of everyone within hearing range. With a satisfied nod, he followed the now beat-red Cuddy into her office. "It's bondage day today, folks!" He announced to the small crowd that stood there gaping at him as he closed the door.

Ahhh, the joys and endless possibilities of being back in his comfort zone.

Once safely in her office, Cuddy allowed herself to yell at the obstinate doctor. "House, I can handle any comments about me you wish to make to me in private, but if you keep making comments like that around my hospital staff and patients the hospital is going to lose its integrity! You've already cost this hospital 1 million dollars, as well as thousands in court costs and lawsuits. If you keep this up, I will have no choice but to fire you."

House just watched her silently as she ranted at him. When there was a pause in her ranting, he broke in. "Somehow I doubt that you dragged me in here to yell at me about my obscene comments that I've made on a daily basis ever since the day you hired me." His eyes took in her sheepish look and he smirked. "I knew it! This is about Cameron." His eyes narrowed as he scrutinized his boss.

"House, she solved the case…"

"Yeah, yeah. You mentioned that." House said impatiently, taking a seat on Cuddy's couch. "Get on with what you _haven't_ told me yet."

She glared at him. "If you would for once let me finish…As I was saying, she solved the case using _your_ methods."

House just stared at her blankly before a genuine grin broke out on his face. "Really?"

"Yes, really." Cuddy sighed.

House actually laughed in glee. "That's great! You mean she actually was unethical in her methods and cold to the patient? She didn't cry over his bed, or hold his hand?"

Cuddy stared at him, flabbergasted. "You're proud of her." The way she spoke told him that it wasn't a question and that she was shocked.

"You'd better believe I'm proud of her." House leaned forward from his spot on the couch with a show of drama. "Our little Cameron is all grown up now." He wiped a pretend tear from the corner of his eye. "I'd better go talk to her." He moved to stand up but was stopped by Cuddy taking his cane and jabbing his chest with it.

"Sit back down, buster." Her tone was low and dangerous. He didn't dare disobey and watched her with an interested look. "You have a fellowship so that you can teach them how to become better doctors, _not_ so that they can learn how to break the rules and find the loopholes."

"But making loopholes is okay?" House sounded confused, but she knew better.

"No, House!" Cuddy groaned. "Yes, Cameron is a better doctor because of you. Yes, she continues to grow medically under your watch. There is no way that I can deny any of that. But the way she went about solving the case showed that you have too much of an influence on her. You wouldn't know how proud I am that the three of them solved it without help. But I am not happy about the way she went behind my back and deliberately disobeyed the policies of this hospital."

"Good for her." House said firmly, a dangerous look in his eyes. "She's growing a backbone. She's learning to look out for curing the patient instead of crying over his sick, pathetic body and being a doormat."

"And that's just the thing, House. She only saw the patient twice. Once to put him in an ice bath against my orders, and once to weasel the truth out of him. She treated the whole thing like you do: a puzzle. It was almost as if she tried not to make him human."

House smirked again and stood. "So she can be strong when I'm not around. That's a good quality, one that I'm glad that I've managed to teach her. She needs to be able to work without having a guide. But don't worry, Cuddy. I'm sure she'll be just as sugary sweet as she always has been now that Daddy's returned home." He said with his normal bite of sarcasm.

Cuddy sighed when he left before burying her face in her hands as she heard him yell out so the whole first floor could hear him. "I'm gonna be sore tomorrow!" She prayed that the desk would swallow her whole so that she'd never have to leave her office again.

xXx

The three ducklings were in the department, quietly working on whatever suited them. Cameron, true to form, was working on House's back paperwork, Chase was deep into his crossword puzzle, and Foreman was reading the latest medical journal. All three of them jumped when a loud 'bang' resounded through the room. The looked up to see House standing there with a startled expression. "What was that?" He asked innocently, hiding his cane behind his back.

All three rolled their eyes and continued working on what they had been engrossed in before. "Alright, kiddies, now that Daddy is back home, there are going to be new rules."

The three of them looked up in confusion. House had a serious look on his face. Cameron took her reading glasses off, Chase dropped his pen, and Foreman just stared at his boss. House continued in a somber voice. "Yes, rules must be made, however temporary they may become. Chase, you are now the new Dr. House for the clinic. Don't screw up my reputation." He tossed Chase his name tag and turned to Foreman. "You, go be productive elsewhere. Don't care where. Try the ER. I hear that they're short-staffed today." Foreman rolled his eyes and followed Chase out of the room.

The male ducklings gone, House now turned to Cameron. She had migrated from charting to sorting mail once she had realized that House wasn't being serious. "Now as for you, Cameron..." He was slightly irked when she didn't look up from what she was doing. "Cam, I'm talking to you."

"I know." She still didn't look up from her spot at the table. "And I'm reading and answering your mail because otherwise it won't get done." She missed the half-smile that graced his features before he leaned against the counter, his cane bouncing in the ground next to him, his face falling back into his normal scowl.

"So, I heard something interesting about you this week." He finally spoke gruffly, his eyes fixed on the blood stain still in the carpet.

She looked up quickly and then back down. "Everything about me is interesting until you figure out what it is. Then it becomes boring and you're off to find something else more interesting."

House found that he couldn't argue and instead found himself shooting off sarcasm. "Yup, figuring out a woman is just that simple. As soon as I have you figured out, I'm going to work on Cuddy. She'll be easy. She's what Freud would call normal."

"And you're what Freud would call spooky." She shot back without even glancing at him. She stood from the chair to place the important opened mail on the desk and the unimportant in the trash.

House reached out and grabbed her leg with the handle of his cane. She nearly tripped but quickly righted herself, smoothing down her skirt and readjusting her lab coat. "Having problems, Cameron?" He asked innocently.

"Nothing that I haven't dealt with before." She said with little emotion.

House frowned. Something was wrong with his female subordinate and that naturally made him curious. "What happened to the puppy-loving, flower-power, happy-go-lucky part of my team?" His eyes widened slightly at the angry look she shot him.

"Did you ever once think that maybe, just maybe, I'm not all that you think I am?" She hissed, venom dripping from each word. She turned on her heal and stalked out of the office, leaving behind a very confused House.

He frowned and limped slowly into his office, mulling over what on earth Cameron could be so pissy about. _She solved the case. She should be happy._ He never noticed Wilson watching him outside the department doors, nor did he see Chase walk by with a determined look in his eye.

xXx

Cameron fled down the hall, fighting back both tears and guilt. She had no reason to snap at House. He had no idea what today was for her. She was so lost in thought that she didn't see Wilson until they were tangled together on the ground.

"Cameron, I know that House keeps a detailed list of nurses who have or will fall for me, but he never once mentioned your name on the list." Wilson tilted his head and picked himself off of the floor, holding out a hand to help Cameron up.

She took his hand and smiled at him gratefully. "I am so sorry, Wilson. I should watch where I'm going." She refused to meet his eyes and kept looking down the hall as if watching for someone.

Wilson noticed and frowned. "Did House say something? Because I swear to God, I'll kill him."

Cameron shook her head. "No, no. Nothing like that." She gave a wry smile. "In all actuality, I'm the one that said something." At the confused look, she sighed and reluctantly continued. "I snapped at him for no reason. All he wanted to know was what was wrong." She closed her eyes before the tears could escape. "Excuse me, I need to go."

Wilson watched as she fled once more away from prying eyes and turned towards the diagnostics department. He watched House for a bit and wondered not for the first time what was going on in his strange friend's mind.

Cameron saw the door to the locker rooms and breathed a sigh of relief. _Finally, a refuge_.

"Cameron!"

She groaned. _Why does God hate me?_ She turned and forced a pleasant smile on her face. "What is it, Chase?"

He seemed nervous for some reason and she groaned inwardly, keeping the smile on her face. _Please don't ask me out._

"I was wondering if you would like to go get some lunch." He asked rapidly, trying but failing to keep eye contact. If she wasn't in such a bad mood, she would have laughed at his obvious nervousness.

"Not right now. Perhaps another time, 'kay?" She tried to say as pleasantly as possible. She soon realized her mistake when Chase brightened and nodded before sauntering away. _Great, I am now unintentionally leading him on. Good one, Allison. As if you don't have enough on your mind!_ She really needed to talk to someone.

She ducked into the locker room and was relieved to find it empty. Fishing her phone from her lab coat pocket, she pushed speed dial and waited before smiling softly. "Hi, Mom. I need to talk to someone."

xXx

His conversation with Kaeyla rolled through his mind as he raced around the track. What Cameron was upset about hit House suddenly while he was in the middle of level 8, causing him to crash the bike. "I am such an idiot!" He grumbled to himself as he hoisted himself up from his chair and grasped his cane tightly. He stormed down the hall in the direction he had seen her go. Wilson was no longer in the hall and Chase quickly ducked down into another room even though House never took a glance at him. He made a beeline to the woman's locker room and paused outside it. Sure enough, the telltale signs of crying and talking came from inside. _She must be on the phone._

He opened the door slowly and looked around. _Just as I figured._ She was huddled in the back corner of the room, holding her knees to her chest and rocking slightly, nodding and murmuring to whoever was on the other line.

She looked up as he slowly approached, the tears drying when she realized who exactly was in the room. "I got to go, Mom. My boss is here." House refrained from smirking when he realized she was talking to Kaeyla. She clicked the phone closed and dropped it back into her pocked. "What do you want, House?" She rested her chin on her knees and closed her eyes, her voice pathetically thin.

How did House let her know that he knew what was wrong without letting her know how he found out? He winced as he dropped himself onto the ground next to her, his cane making a loud crack as it hit the floor. She clenched but didn't look up. "Who was that?" He asked, his voice surprisingly void of any sarcasm.

"My mom." She said softly. "I needed to talk to her."

House nodded and looked down. "What's going on?"

She looked over at him, confusion written all over her face. "Do you actually care, or is this just another piece of the puzzle that you have to find?"

The corner of his mouth quirked up and he leaned his head back against the wall, still facing her. "I wouldn't be asking if I didn't care." He winced inwardly at how what he said sounded, but he figured that if she misinterpreted what he said, now was as good as time as any to 'stake the claim' as Kaeyla kept pressuring him to do.

Cameron scoffed and looked away. "You'd ask just because it was interesting." Her voice was hollow and void of emotion. "I might as well tell you. You'll only find out anyway."

He frowned. That was defiantly _not_ the reaction he expected. She finally looked over at him again and her brow furrowed in confusion. He just watched her, waiting.

She sighed. "I was 15." She swallowed as if trying to keep the words in, but once she started, she couldn't stop. "My best friend Christy and I were both invited to the same party, but the party was the same night as my piano recital. 18 years ago today, actually."

She didn't notice the interest flare in his eyes at the mention of a piano recital and she continued on with the story. "So I told her to go without me. She had just gotten her license the week before, and she was disappointed that I wasn't going. She was so proud that she could drive by herself without parent supervision. And she would've been fine, too, if not for Rick."

House was alarmed to see her whole body clench with anger, the tears streaming steadily down her face. Her hands were clenched into fists so tightly that the knuckles were white. He hesitantly reached out and placed one hand lightly on one of her fists. She jumped slightly at the contact and lifted pain-filled eyes to meet his. Her hand turned and clutched his so hard that he almost winced. She continued, her voice tight with an anger that House had never heard from her before.

"Rick had just gotten his license a month prior to the party. Rick was one of the jocks of the school, very popular, so he was invited to a lot of the senior parties that always involved lots of alcohol. He had been at one of those instead of the party for us underlings that didn't like to consume beer until we puked." She closed her eyes briefly and drew a quivering breath.

"She was coming to my house to tell me about the party and ask how my recital went. That was the only way that I could convince her to go to the party without me. From what the police said, Rick was going home at the same time, only he was going 90 miles per hour. His blood alcohol content was .13, .05 points higher than legal. He never saw the red light. They only reason they knew it was Christy was because the license plate was almost fully intact. I was supposed to be with her."

She dropped her forehead onto her fists, her knees still drawn up to her chest. House could feel the warm tears dripping on his hand and he inwardly panicked. Anger, yelling, cursing, even silence he could manage. Sorrow mixed with gut-wrenching sobs he was unaccustomed to dealing with. He froze, wondering what to do. When he realized that she wasn't stopping, he winced slightly before placing his other hand on her head, gently running his fingers through her hair. He hoped that it would have the same calming effect that it seemed to have on very small children.

Gradually, her sobs turned to tiny whimpers and she tilted her head so that her cheek was now on their joined hands. Her eyes were still closed and she drew in a shaky breath. House absentmindedly kept stroking her hair and she felt herself relax before jumping, realizing what he was doing. "I'm sorry." She apologized, not meeting his gaze.

"Don't be." Was that voice really his? It must have been because her eyes flew back to his and she gave him a weak smile before dropping her head back down onto her knees, still watching him. _Those eyes…_ House knew right then and there that he was screwed.

"It took me months before I could even look at a car, let alone ride in one." Cameron said suddenly.

House frowned slightly before he realized what she was referring to. "Can't imagine why." He snarked without his normal bite. "If my best friend was killed in a car crash, I would defiantly want to ride in a car the first moment I could."

Cameron smiled slightly. "You'd go out and kick the guy's ass." She murmured, closing her eyes again.

"You bet I would. I'd shove my cane up so far up his ass, he'd be _belching_ splinters for a month." It was then that House realized that his hand was still stroking her hair. His leg spasamed at the same time and he winced. He withdrew his hand, taking care not to pull her hair, and poked her side. "Move." He said gruffly, the pain starting to flood his whole right side.

Her eyes flew open, confusion filling them.

House motioned for her to move. "I need..." He gestured towards his leg.

Realization dawned on her and she shifted so he had room to move and he dug into his pocket, digging out the familiar orange cylinder and popping off the lid. He crunched two vicodin and let the bitter taste flood his taste buds, sighing when he knew that the pain would recede soon.

He risked a glance at the woman sitting next to him and barely managed to keep his surprise inside when he didn't see one hint of pity, condemning, or disappointment in her eyes. All he saw was total acceptance of what and who he was. It suddenly hit him how _wrong_ he was on their date two years prior and he felt an unknown emotion flood through him: immense regret. He drew a quick breath and winced at the new pain he felt inside, the kind that couldn't be sated no matter how many painkillers he took or how many glasses of alcohol he drank.

Cameron heard his quick intake of air and glanced at his face, trying to gage the intensity of his pain.

He pulled her to his side and propped his chin on her forehead, trying to ease her concern without words. He felt her hesitantly slip her arm around his waist, the other still holding on his hand, he realized. Words weren't needed at the moment; both were just content to sit there holding each other. It shocked House how content he actually felt at the moment, and he almost felt guilty for feeling almost happy when she was sitting there having just finished a strong bout of painful tears.

Neither of them was aware of how long they sat there in silence, but the peace was disturbed when first Cameron's pager than House's went off.

_New Patient_

House managed to stand with much difficulty and hesitated before holding out a hand to her. She cautiously put her hand in his and he pulled her up gently, squeezing her fingers lightly before releasing her hand and limping towards the door. "Cripples first." He announced in a superior tone, feeling the need to be sarcastic after all the seriousness from the past couple of hours.

"Would it be any other way?" Cameron rolled her eyes, a smile lingering on her face. She checked the mirror to make sure her mascara wasn't all over her face and followed her boss out of the woman's locker room towards the diagnostic department.

xXx

24 year old female, collapses on the sidewalk on the way to work." Chase announced as the pair walked into the department, frowning slightly when he realized that they walked in together and from the same direction.

House frowned at Chase back. "Why aren't you in the clinic?" All he received from Chase was an eye roll and a glare.

Cameron took the file from Chase and scanned it, ignoring the sharp look he had thrown her way when she walked in. "She seems normal to me."

"Give it." House snatched it from her hand and she rolled her eyes. "Hmmm. Seems that way, doesn't it? But if she _was_ normal, she wouldn't have collapsed, now would she?"

House was back to being himself. It was as if the locker room incident hadn't happened, Cameron thought wryly, throwing him a sharp glare. "You don't have to try to make me feel stupid, House." She grabbed the file back and scanned it again. "You obviously see something we don't."

House gave her a knowing look. "Of course I do. I _always_ do." He said in a snobbish tone, sticking his nose in the air and sauntering off towards his desk as well as a crippled man could. All three of the ducklings rolled their eyes and continued to examine the file.

Cameron started reading off what she read. "She was admitted three months ago because her husband realized that she was having coordination problems. He also noticed that she was having to turn her head to see something other than what was in front of her. The hospital discharged her saying that she just needed more sleep. Now, she's still having the same problems as before only now she's anemic as well. She passed out on the sidewalk, and the EMT's aren't sure if she's in a coma or not. Blood tests showed that her white count is normal, her tox screen was clean..."

"…but her BP is too low, and she's starting to run a fever." Foreman broke in.

Cameron looked up at him, confused. "Where does it say that?"

"It doesn't. I just got a page." Foreman clipped his pager back on his belt and tilted his head towards the door. The three of them dashed out of the room while House smirked and wrote the symptoms down on the board.

_Anemia _

_White blood count?_

_Coma?_

_Low BP_

_Fever_

He frowned and leaned heavily on his cane. His conversation, or rather lack of, with Cameron was still rolling through his mind. He had seen the look Chase had given them when they walked into the room at the same time and almost smirked at the thought of little Chase being jealous of the big bad House.

At the same time, he felt a pang of fear at the thought of Chase going after Cameron. She very well could choose Chase over him, he knew. After all, Chase was younger, better looking, and could give her all he couldn't. He shook his head. All this emotional thinking made his head hurt and he popped a single pill, crunching it loudly. _Time to make a plan._ He thought as he stalked out of the department.

xXx

"We need to get her blood pressure up." Cameron removed the stethoscope from her ears and nodded to Foreman who shoved 1 mill of 80 proof saline mixture into her veins. They watched the monitor and breathed a sigh of relief when it went up to the low end of normal.

"Her fever's at 101.2." Chase announced, pulling the thermometer out of her ear. "Nothing too serious, but that needs to be watched as well."

Cameron set a pitcher of water on the beside table and looked at the boys. "I'll stay and watch her for awhile. Run some more blood work, retest for what the previous doctors did and what ever they didn't."

Foreman just stared at her. "You aren't the boss any more, Cameron."

"I realize that. I also realize that House is going to ask you to do the same thing, so you might as well do it now before he tells you. That might actually be a point to your favor in his book." She added somewhat sarcastically.

Foreman rolled his eyes and drew two vials of blood. "This does not make you my boss." He said, pointing his finger at her. "Come on, Chase. Let's do Dr. Cameron's tests."

"Right." Chase started to follow Foreman out of the room but turned back. "Cameron?"

She turned her head. "Yes, Chase?"

"Do you want to go to dinner tomorrow evening?"

Cameron froze. _Does he ever give up?_ "Chase, I'm really not interested right now." She didn't look at him for fear of seeing the crushed expression she knew would be plastered on his face. She heard him sigh and close the sliding door behind him. She breathed a sigh of relief and turned back to the still comatose patient. It was going to be a long wait.

xXx

The four of the diagnostics team drew straws to see who would stay with the patient that night. Chase was muttering to himself about how House must have rigged so the 'wombat' would get the short straw. The rest of the team quickly hightailed it out of the hospital.

Foreman walked with Cameron out to her car. "Hey, Cam. Do you want to go get something to eat? Just between friends?"

She eyed him suspiciously. He held up his hands as if to say 'honest!' "Okay, that's fine. Anywhere specific?"

"Just the place we always go." He grinned.

"Okay." She found herself grinning back and ducked into her car. "Last one there pays!" She gunned the engine and took off.

Foreman smiled and shook his head. "Cheater." He muttered as he pulled out of his spot and left a bit more slowly than she had.

Unknown to them, House had heard the whole exchange and was curious to know why Foreman would ask Cameron out to dinner. He still had a hard time with the whole idea of friends hanging out at random times of the day. Even Wilson didn't try to do that with him.

He felt a pang of loneliness when he realized that he would once again spend a night home alone. He growled at himself for being so emotional and shoved his helmet on his head. He had enough to worry about himself without taking on extra emotions. He revved the engine and sped out of the parking lot and into the street, though his mind stayed on Cameron. For some reason, the thought of her wouldn't stay behind at the hospital.

xXx

Cameron was leaning against the wall next to the doors to the restaurant when Foreman walked up. "Cheater." He muttered as he opened the door for her. She smiled pleasantly at him and walked through the open door. He gave a grin and followed her into the restaurant. "Same table as usual." He instructed the greeter who directed them to the table they always got. The waiter was a man who had waited on them before.

"Good evening, Doctors. What can I get for you to drink tonight?"

"Your house wine, please." Cameron smiled at the waiter.

"Scotch." Foreman ordered. The waiter nodded and walked away. "So, you and House?"

Cameron rolled her eyes heavenward. "I should've guessed that this dinner had an ulterior motive."

"No." He defended himself. "It's just a topic starter."

"Well then, if it's _just_ a topic starter…" She teased before relenting. "There is no me and House."

"Yet." He smirked knowingly.

She sighed and agreed. "Yet."

She paused as the waiter placed their drinks down in front of them. "What can I get for you to eat?"

"I would like the cheese ravioli." Foreman requested, handing the man his menu.

Cameron frowned. "I guess I'll have the pasta primavera." She too handed the man her menu and he took them with a smile.

"Thank-you." The waiter walked off towards the kitchen.

"So what about you?" Cameron asked. "How is your dating life?"

"Active." He said with a secretive smile."

"Fine, keep your secrets." She muttered with a grin. "I'll find out eventually."

Foreman scoffed. "Right, after House does _and_ makes fun of me for it."

"Hey!" She hit him with her napkin. "I'm not that dense!"

"Yes you are." He took a sip of his scotch and grinned at the gaping look on her face. "What?"

"You are so mean!" She took a gulp of her wine and glared at him. "I'll have you know that I have never been dense. I catch on to things quite quickly."

"Except for…"

"…except for the whole Greg House thing, yeah, I know." She interrupted with a sigh. "What can I say, I'm a glutton for punishment."

Foreman just grinned at her. Dinner between friends always brightened his day, even if his dinner companion had cheated to get her way out of paying for her part of the meal.

xXx

AN: So this chapter _was_ going to be a little shorter…but that didn't happen. Is the story moving too fast, too slow, or just right? Feedback is much appreciated!! Alas, I am back to updating once a week after this chapter. Spring break is over! (sniff) Those are tears of anguish…


	12. The Next Few Steps

Story Title: Touch of Destiny

Chapter 12: The Next Few Steps

Chapter summery: The drama increases for the fellowship.

xXx

Disclaimer: Not mine, unless you don't recognize a character. Then it is mine, and you shouldn't take it.

AN: Nothing much I can say…just sorry that I can't update sooner I guess. Hope this chapter was worth the wait:-D

xXx

LittleDragonfly23: Thanks! I figured now is as good as time as any to start the cute moments…with plenty of angst in the mix!

Limaccia: Oh, believe me when I say that I wanted to have him join them at dinner. But I figured that he'd have a lot to think about…him being House and all. And yes, he needs to make a move. That was the point of the longer last couple of chapters I think…to move it along! Haha!

xxBuffyfreakxx: Yay! So the speed is alright…but as for him staking his claim? Nope. Well…not yet anyway. Soon, I promise. Maybe even this chapter….

Sweetgreuy: Foreman is a very observant guy. And House is House…he'll take as long as he wants and needs. And what do you think Cameron will do when she finds about House talking to her mom? It will cause tension, that's what it'll do! Heh heh heh…angst is my friend!

Alexandretta: Hi to you too!! He makes a move soon…I promise!

Obsessedwithstabler: (death glare) I know you won't stop being evil…maybe I'll return the favor… (wicked grin)

AnybodysBaby: I'm sorry!!!! I wish I could update more, and review stories, but my school is dumb. Grrrr…….

Colonelheather: Yeesssssss!!! (Pumps fist in air) Woot! Thanks dear! And I can't wait until summer break starts…grumble… Now, for a new phrase I'm aiming for….how about……. (crickets chirp)……the stunned silence before deafening applause! (waits) …or not… :-P

breakaway01: Thanks! I hope your break goes well!

saz89: Happy birthday, Saz! Anyhoo, I guess it would be sort of like your Easter holiday, only two weeks earlier. We don't get Easter off… (cries) Yeah, my mom gives me strange looks and wonders where on earth I pick up these random phrases that aren't even American. Haha! I just tell her that I have friends from other places, which is very true. I know people from South Africa, France, England, Australia, probably a billion other places, and I've picked up phrases and words from all of them. I'm glad you like the chapter! Woot!

SilvaK: The House and Cameron interaction is coming…never fear!

House.Cam-xx: Well, I like people to review. And if I give them a reply, it makes them feel happy! It makes _me_ happy:-D yay! Yes, I thought the whole "Yes Cuddy, I'll have sex with you" part was very House like. Sort of made up for the overly-emotional scene at the end…lol…And I'm glad you think that I'm a good House. It's better than being an evil one…. ;-)

Kris Morene: Sweet! I hope you don't feel as if you waited too long for this one…

Phantomdaughter: I'm glad that I made you smile! It's always good to hear that my work makes people laugh!

Gabunny: Oh, I plan on keeping it up! I have no idea how long…but we'll see!

Amunett : I'm glad the chapter lengths aren't too long and that you're enjoying the story!

xXx

_Tap tap tap._

The drumming of fingers echoed through the silent, dark apartment. The source was the mysterious man who sat at his kitchen table, deep in thought. It wasn't raining, but he wished it were. Instead, the night was just dark and moonless, perfect for plotting, scheming, and vampires, provided they even existed.

_Tap tap tap._

His eyebrows drew further and further down his forehead as he lost his mind to the thoughts of Allison Cameron. His mind drifted down the figure he had projected on the 3-D IMAX of his mind, traveling from her beautiful face and over her perfectly sculpted chest to continue down to eagerly study her well-rounded hips from where her thin yet strong legs seemed to stretch down, down, down to her toes which he had nibbled on countless times during their lovemaking. A deep frown covered his face at the thought of the sex with Allison. Now that he thought about it, she was probably faking every orgasm she had with him.

_Bang!_

His fist hit the table violently in a sudden fit of anger.

_This isn't working. Nothing I do is working. She still seems to want _House_ of all people. _

A sudden thought crossed his mind and an evil grin crossed his face. Picking up the phone, he jumped up from his seat to search his desk for a number he had nearly forgotten about.

"Joe? Hi, you don't know me, but I'm a friend of Allison's. I have a request of you…"

xXx

His apartment was dark save for the lamp that illuminated the area around the piano. A bottle of scotch sat opened on the kitchen table and the empty pizza box sat next to it. His record player was blasting The Rolling Stones and he had already ignored three neighbors knocking on the door yelling at him to turn it down. If the cops showed up, he'd turn it down then, but not a moment sooner.

House lounged on his couch in a pair of sweat pants and a really tattered Stones shirt from eons ago, slowly drinking his glass of scotch. He had been trying to come up with a plan to "stake his claim" on Cameron without damaging his reputation but so far all he had come up with was pinning her down in the diagnostics department and thoroughly kissing her for all the world to see. Somehow, he wasn't sure that she'd appreciate that sort of public display of affection, and he knew that the 'ducklings' would probably take great pleasure in using that action to blackmail him. He was now at a complete loss trying to figure out what he was going to do. If he could pace, he would have worn a hole in his carpet already, though the carpet in his mind was worn through from the mental pacing he was doing instead.

His mind began to replay the events of the afternoon over and over again, tormenting him with thoughts of _her_. What was he thinking, comforting her like that? Now she was going to expect that sort of behavior all the time. Greg House was not that type of person. He shook his head. It was pointless to argue with his mind. The logical side always tried to kill the side that actually wanted to feel, the side that actually _needed_ to comfort her for his own emotional sanity's sake.

He went to take another drink of scotch and scowled at the glass when he realized that it was empty. He decided that he was too lazy to get up and pour another glass and instead sat there and glowered at the innocent bottle sitting so close yet so far away. He made a mental note to leave the bottle on the coffee table next time. How could he think without alcohol running through his blood stream? He crunched a vicodin, despite knowing that he shouldn't take it with the scotch. _Again, logic can go screw itself. I'll take my vicodin when I damn well want to._

A loud rumble resounded through the room and he closed his eyes, relishing in the sounds of the distant thunder rumbling closer and closer with each boom that sounded. The flashes from the lightening reflected off of the piano and glass he had in the room penetrated his closed lids and he opened his eyes again. For some reason, thunderstorms always seemed to calm him. Hopefully tonight would be no exception, he thought as he settled back into the crook of the couch, still holding the empty scotch glass, his mind agonizing over a certain good-looking immunologist.

xXx

The dinner with Foreman had actually been delightful, much to Cameron's amazement. He stopped grilling her about House and had actually volunteered information about his new girlfriend, even if he still wouldn't tell Cameron her name. They had both skipped on dessert, and Foreman had gladly paid the bill. The rain started just as she was entering her apartment building.

Cameron unlocked her apartment door and stepped inside, clicking the door behind her. She locked the door and tossed her keys onto her kitchen table, taking her coat off as she glanced at her answering machine. The number '2' blinked at her and she frowned slightly. She pushed the 'play' button and listened carefully as she hung up her coat.

"You have two unheard messages. First unheard message." The automated voice grated through the room.

_Beep!_

"Hey Al, long time no talk. It's Joe. I assume that you're not home seeing as you're not answering. Call me sometime, will you? We need to catch up on old times. I miss you."

_Beep! _

"Stupid bastard." Cameron muttered as she walked back into the kitchen.

"Next Message." The automated voice squeaked out.

_Click. Beep!_

"Caaaaaameronnnnn………" House's voice came over the speakers and she smiled. "This is your conscious speaking. You want to bring Greg House some tiny bit of joy in his life by coming over to his place by no later than midnight bringing edible food and some quality entertainment. Wait. Screw the entertainment. You will have no clue as to what quality entertainment even is. He'll provide that. Do you like strippers?"

_Click. Beep!_

Cameron laughed at the last message and shook her head, glancing at the clock. "11:00. Might as well go." She muttered with a grin. "As for something edible…" She picked up her purse and keys, grabbing her coat out of the closet once more. She had to make one stop before House's apartment.

xXx

A delicate knock turned House's head towards his door. "Go away!" He yelled over the sound of the Stones. When the door didn't open and the person knocked again, he glared at it and pulled himself up from the couch and limped over to the door. He opened it, fully prepared to yell at the inconsiderate person who dared to disturb him at 11:30 at night. He stopped himself just in time from yelling at a grinning Cameron who was holding a bag of deliciously aromatic food.

"I was told that you'd provide the entertainment." Her look was one of amusement.

He glanced down at her and wrinkled his nose. "Oh you were, were you? How do you know whoever it is that called you wasn't lying?" He moved so that she could come in, not mentioning that he had been beating himself over the head for leaving that ridiculous message. "I hope you like stripper tapes."

"I can live without them…" She paused just inside the door and looked around. It hadn't changed since she was last here. The sound of House clearing his throat brought her gaze back to him.

"Too bad." He was holding out his hand. "I assume that the food you brought is for me."

She smiled. "It's for _us_." She said emphatically. "To share."

House pouted and limped out to the kitchen. It was then that she noticed he wasn't using his cane. She was about to comment on it when she decided against it. She didn't want to ruin the evening before it even began. "What are you getting?" She asked instead.

"Forks and plates. Don't want your cooties all over my part of the food." He pulled said objects out of their respective places and set them on the counter. "Dish it up, bringer of the food!"

The pair was soon seated on House's couch, each digging into a plate of chow mien from Louie's Chinese Diner. House had clicked the TV on and they were currently watching some random anime show on cartoon network. However, neither of them was paying attention to the show. Instead, they were each focusing on _not_ focusing on each other. "So, this is the latest stripper program." Cameron joked, shaking her head at the cartoon on the TV.

House just looked at her, a confused expression on his face before a ripping sound came from the TV. A half smirk tilted the corner of his mouth just as Spongebob giggled and said 'Oops! I ripped my pants!' House reached over and poked her with his cane. "Yeah, that's the new stripper movie. Watch it carefully, or you'll miss it."

She rolled her eyes. "I think that that is alright with me."

They fell into a silence once more, House agonizing over what was mulling through his head, and Cameron trying as hard as she could not to focus on the black instrument almost in the middle of the room.

Cameron finished what was on her plate and decided to explore the room, much to the House's chagrin, slowly making her way to the offending instrument.

"You have beautiful piano, House." Her voice was soft and sad as she debated whether or not to touch the piano.

House didn't disagree, instead he choose to fill his plate again, wondering why on earth she had brought his piano up. "Thank-you." He said in a rare moment of slight humility and honesty. "It's the one thing in my life that hasn't let me down."

"Yeah." Cameron smiled somewhat sadly and ran a hand gently over the black finish before letting out a tiny sigh and moving to the bookshelves, examining each title carefully.

House chewed on the side of his cheek as he pondered on whether or not to voice his next question. "So…you play the piano." It was more of a statement than a question.

"Is that all you heard from what I told you in the locker room?" She sounded mad, and quite rightly so.

House winced slightly and looked away. "No, I just...I'm trying to make conversation." He muttered through clenched teeth. "Told you I was bad at small talk."

She paused and he could see her shoulders slump slightly. "I used to play. I don't any more."

"Why not?" House tilted his head and watched her pull books of the shelf and read the backs. "I've always heard that if you fall of a horse, you get right back on."

"It wasn't falling off of a horse, House." She whirled around and glared at him, her eyes full of pain. "It was knowing that my best friend was killed and I should've been there. The only reason I was was because of that stupid recital. Maybe the accident wouldn't have even happened. We would've left earlier or later. I couldn't play after the funeral. And I still can't."

"Cameron." He stood up and moved over to her, examining the books right beside her. He fell silent, not knowing how to continue without making her pissed off or making himself come across as a _feeling_ person.

"House, you can't possibly think that you can tell me that I need to play again so that I can work through all the emotional baggage that goes with it. I can guarantee you never take that advice from Wilson when he gives it to you!" Cameron's tone, while calm, let House know exactly what she was feeling.

"Just because I can't, doesn't mean you shouldn't." House said quietly. "We don't need another one of me around."

"Oh that's right." Cameron interrupted bitterly. "You just couldn't handle all the emotions that would fly around if I became you." She turned away and moved towards the couch again, gathering her coat and purse. "Maybe I should go. When you develop the ability to take your own advice, then you can start giving me advice."

"Cameron, I…" House stared after her as she slammed the door closed, the sound reverberating through the room and shook his head. He was such a cowardly bastard. He threw himself on the couch, berating himself for thinking that. _She's the one who is being over emotional and expecting me to be something I'm no. She's the one who just stormed out in a hissy fit._ But deep in his soul, he knew that the fault was indeed his. He was the one who had searched her out, and had sat there while she talked and had comforted her. And he was the one who was going to tell her to do something he would never do. And he was the one that needed to fix this mess, this mess that he created by acting completely unlike himself. Either that, or let her remain mad at him. He suddenly realized that he now had an out to the whole 'relationship' thing. He slammed his fist on the couch armrest as a startling realization hit him full force. He didn't want out, he wanted in. His musings were interrupted by a timid knock on his door.

xXx

Cameron didn't actually leave his apartment complex right away. Instead, she sat in her car, her head on the steering wheel, the tears dripping onto her arms as she silently cried, the storm still thundering all around the area. For once, the tears weren't caused by House. These were the healing tears that she so desperately needed to cry. She could feel the scars on her heart from all the losses in her life break open again and the wounds flow free. She wasn't sure how long she sat there, but she realized with startling apprehension that she had once again blown up at House and walked out on him.

She didn't even bother to wipe her face off as she locked her car door and once again made her way up to his apartment. She hesitated before slowly lifting her hand and fearfully rapping on his door, hoping that he wouldn't be too angry with her. The door slowly opened to reveal a seemingly emotionless House.

In actual reality, House was floored by the fact that she even came back. He forced himself to not compare her to the flighty Stacy and instead focused on the obviously distraught woman in front of him who for reasons unknown to him had returned to his apartment. It was obvious to him that she had been crying her eyes out and if the light didn't deceive him, the tears were still glistening in her eyes. He felt his heart twist slightly at the sight of her emotionally tormented face and he didn't have the energy or willpower to stop the sudden emotion that surged through him.

"Can I come back in?" She spoke first, her voice quiet and unsure.

He nodded and opened the door wider, watching her as she moved slowly into the room.

She let out a sigh and leaned against the back of the couch, her face turned away from House, her eyes focused on a spot on the wall. "You were right, as usual."

House was confused but nodded anyway. "I'm always right. And you obviously have the amazing ability to read my mind better than I can, because I have no idea what…oh right." He tilted his head back slightly as her words from earlier came back. Now he really had no idea what to say. "You're welcome?" He said with a slight question to it.

She smiled slightly in response. "I just wanted to end the day on a better note than we would've had I left and not come back. I didn't want to kill whatever tiny bit of friendship you've let me have with you." She turned to go but stopped. "House, can I…?" She froze, unsure what he would say to her question.

He seemed to know what she was asking. "Yup, go ahead. But you butcher the notes and I'll be forced to re-teach you." He warned seriously, though with a slight hint of teasing.

She gave a small smirk. "I look forward to it, because I can guarantee you that I'll screw up." She removed her coat and tossed it and her purse carelessly onto the couch.

House just stood there and watched as she moved the piano bench back and sat down cautiously, her hands frozen over the keys. He waited for a bit before slowly limping over to her. Placing a hand on her shoulder, he spoke softly. "The keys only work if you actually press down on them, you know."

Cameron closed her eyes briefly and sighed. "I can't do it." The tears were at the back of her eyes and she took a deep breath to keep them in.

He squeezed her shoulder gently. "When you are ready, you will." He said in a rare moment of sincerity. She suddenly realized exactly how tired she really was and wanted to just crash there and sleep. House sensed this and shook her slightly. "Hey, no falling asleep here. I only have one bed, and I can't carry you."

She shook her head and tried to smile at him. "I'm awake, I promise. Wouldn't want to force you to be hospitable and all."

"I can be hospitable if I want to be." House protested as he moved back so she could stand up away from the piano.

Cameron moved to the couch and gathered her belongings up once more. "I'll see you at work tomorrow, House. I'm sorry for tonight."

"Don't apologize. I'll see you tomorrow." He followed her to the door and watched her silently as she disappeared down the hall before closing his door and locking it. He stared at the closed door for a while thinking before turning around and heading to his room. He wasn't going to get much sleep that night.

xXx

Work progressed the next day as usual, despite the goings of the night before. The patient was currently stable, but still comatose. Foreman was down in the clinic and both Cameron and Chase were checking on the patient.

"Hey Cameron, want to go get some lunch?" Chase asked as the pair left the patient's room.

Cameron was saved from having to answer him when Chase's pager went off.

"Damn it, I'm late for clinic." Chase muttered. "I hate the clinic. I'll see you later, Cameron." He moved towards the clinic, dreading yet another two hours of clinic.

Cameron said nothing, just turned on heal and headed towards the diagnostics department. She poked her head through the open door and looked around. She grinned when she saw House sitting at his desk, seemingly unaware that she had even entered the room.

House was actually very aware of her presence but was too into the song he was currently listening to on his iPod to acknowledge her. Instead, he kept his eyes closed and moved his fingers on the invisible keyboard he had imagined was there. The song ended with a soft note and he finally looked up at the amused immunologist. He stood up, grabbed his cane, and walked past her. "Going to lunch Dr. Cameron?"

"I think I can arrange it in my schedule." She followed him out the door and they walked side by side down to the cafeteria. "Chase wasn't too happy about clinic."

House snorted. "Who _is_ happy about clinic other than Cuddy? Besides, definitely better him than me."

Cameron laughed and held open the door for him as they arrived at the café.

xXx

Chase walked into the clinic and groaned. There were more people there than he ever remembered seeing. Cuddy saw him and he could literally see her sigh in relief. "Dr. Chase, thank GOD you are here. Please say that you are actually here to work."

"Yes." He said shortly, pulling one fist from his pocket and picking up a file. "Dotty Myers…oh god no." He muttered the last part as Dotty stood up and followed the despairing Dr. Chase into exam room one.

"Mrs. Myers, it's…good to see you again." Chase said politely, flipping through her file.

The old lady perched daintily on the edge of the exam table and glowered at him. "Dr. Chase, I have a problem."

"Yes, I know." He said tiredly. "You are a hypochondriac. Either that, or you are a drug seeker that I don't have time for."

"No, I most certainly am not either of those!" She protested. "There is something really wrong with me. I have headaches a lot and I'm dizzy. I think I might have leukemia."

"Mrs. Myers, you do not have leukemia. Women of your age don't…" Chase started but Dotty interrupted him.

"How would you know?" She demanded. "You haven't run any tests!"

Chase inwardly groaned and moved towards the door. "I'll fetch a nurse to draw some blood."

"No, I want you to draw my blood." Dotty protested again. "I don't trust any of those interns or nurses. They'll probably nick a vein and then I'll bleed to death."

Chase resisted the urge to rip his hair out, gritted his teeth, and forced a pleasant smile. "I'd be glad to draw your blood."

xXx

Cameron wrinkled her nose at the nasty selection of food and sighed. "I guess that I'll just have an egg salad sandwich or something."

House made his own face as he grabbed his freshly made Rueben. "I wouldn't. I don't trust the eggs here."

She scanned the selection and finally placed a small pile of salad onto her plate. "I'll splurge on some dessert." She pointed to the chocolate cake sitting on the counter and he placed one on her tray. "Thanks."

"I'm actually just spreading germs." He said in a serious tone that told Cameron that he was messing just with her mind. "I sneezed on it earlier before you came in. I marked the plate so I'd remember which one it was."

"Mmmmm, booger flavored chocolate!" Cameron teased back. "My absolute favorite!"

House shot her an admiring look back and nodded to the cashier. "She's with me." Cameron's eyebrow shot up to her hairline and he smirked. "If Wilson was with us, he'd be paying. Even as much of a bastard that I am, I'm not going to make you pay for my meal."

She inwardly smiled at the use of 'us.' "Thank-you, House."

House threw a glare in her direction. "Stop thanking me for everything, or I'll be forced to stop being nice to you and you'll have to go back and pay for your own meal."

She just grinned, nodded, and headed towards the outside patio, exaggerating the sway of her hips slightly as she walked. House let the corner of his mouth quirk up and he followed her outside to a small table under a tree.

He hung his cane on a low branch and watched Cameron for her reaction. She ignored the swinging cane and dug into her salad instead. He added another point to the "why to like Cameron" list he didn't even know he was keeping in his mind, set the cane on the ground instead, and took a huge bite out of his Reuben, grimacing as he chewed. "Oh, yuck!"

She looked up to see House with a nasty expression holding out his open Reuben. "Take them out. Now." She shook her head with a small grin and proceeded to pick all the green discs off his sandwich, popping each one into her mouth as she did so. She was now up to two points in the past thirty seconds. _Stacy wouldn't have done that. She'd have told me to grow up and eat them or to pick them off myself._

"You know, House, eating pickles won't kill you." Cameron shook the last disk at him before chewing it slowly. "Mmmmm, pickled cucumbers."

House made a face and took another bite of his de-pickled sandwich. "They would if I was allergic to them." She was coming close to losing that last point with her antics.

"Well, you aren't. But I am more than happy to eat those delicious pickles you hate. More for me anyway." She smiled and took another bite of her salad. "Free pickles and having a lunch companion all at the same time, what more can I ask for?"

The almost lost point was instead joined with another one, making three in the span of a minute. It was pretty impressive for the supposed naïve immunologist and the cranky diagnostician's super restricted list.

xXx

"Oh goodie, more pointless blood work!" Chase sulked in the lab waiting for the blood work on Dotty.

The lab tech laughed at Chase. "I see you got Dotty Myers again. She's is a piece of work. I think that this is the fifth doctor I've seen down here in the past month doing blood work for her."

"Yeah, well, we're all gluttons for punishment." Chase muttered, flipping through a magazine. A beeping sounded and he turned towards the computer. "Just as I thought."

He burst through the clinic door and tossed the lab results on the table. Dotty sat there with an expectant look on her face. "Well, Dr. Chase?"

"I have bad news, Dotty." He said solemnly.

"I knew it!" She cried. "I'm going to die! Oh woe is me! What will happen to my children? My grandchildren? My cats! Oh, Lord Jesus, please forgive me of all my sins!" Her voice kept climbing in pitch as she carried on and on.

Chase rolled his eyes heavenward and prayed for patience. "No, I'm sorry, Mrs. Myers. You're perfectly healthy except for the fact that your blood sugar level is too high and that you are a hypochondriac. Stop eating sugar, Dotty. You are a diabetic!"

"That was highly uncalled for." She snapped, picking up her purse. "I'm going to find a doctor who will actually care about me."

"Good riddance." Chase muttered as she left, collapsing into the chair. "God, I hate the clinic."

xXx

Lunch was over and Cameron was back in the diagnostics department, running over the list of symptoms. House wasn't about to accept that the woman was in a coma for no reason. To him, there was always a reason. So far, nothing had come up in the differential. House had finally, albeit reluctantly, decided to ignore the coma for the time being and focus on the other symptoms.

Anemia, the low white blood count, the low BP that was currently stabilized, and the now non-existent fever.

Foreman was sent down to test for meningitis, west Nile virus, and a broad spectrum of immune compromised viruses and infections. Cameron was sent to check on the patient and to take vitals again. Chase was still in the clinic, though he was due to be done in ten minutes or so. House remained behind to ponder over the symptoms and possible diagnoses.

The patient was still and quiet, as was expected from a comatose patient. Her temperature was still stable, though her BP was a bit low again. Cameron pushed another .1 cc of 80 proof saline and watched to make sure her BP would stabilize. Once she was sure

"Hey, Cam, can I ask you something?"

Cameron groaned as she heard the voice from the glass doorway. Chase again? She had figured that since Chase was in the clinic, she'd be safe from his pestering her. _Good LORD does he EVER give up?_ "What is it now, Chase?"

"You eaten yet?" He asked, his tone hopeful.

"Yes, about a half an hour ago." She said, trying to keep her annoyance out of her voice. She wasn't sure if she succeeded or not.

"Well how about…"

"She's busy and doesn't want to talk to you." A familiar gruff voice sounded from the doorway, interrupted the young male doctor. "Go away."

Chase's eyes widened and he backed away from House slightly. "I have…more clinic duty Cuddy wants me to do. The clinic being busy and all." He brushed past House who tripped him with his cane. Chase quickly pulled himself up from his sprawled position, and with an embarrassed grin at Cameron, he hurried away from the grumpy diagnostician.

Cameron breathed a sigh of relief and pushed her fingers on her temples. "Thank you, House. I was about to panic. Either that or throw something at him."

"Should've thrown something at him." House gave a tiny grin and stared at the floor, the sound of their breathing mixing with the beeps of the monitor. He still hadn't quite figured out the logistics of his plane to claim her as his, but with Chase being ever so persistent, he didn't want to wait until he had perfected the damn plan, and he didn't want to ruin his chance completely with a stupid action from his part.

Cameron tilted her head to the side slightly and propped her hands on her waist, watching him curiously. "House?"

His eyes flew up to meet hers and she nearly jumped at the intensity of his gaze. Instead, she met his eyes squarely and slowly walked towards him. He just watched her as she moved closer and slowly moved her hands up to frame his face, her eyes locked with his the whole time.

"I don't handle emotions or relationships well, Allison." He finally spoke, shocking both himself and her with the use of her first name. The name barrier had finally been breached.

"I know." She replied, her voice soft and gentle, her mind reeling from his use of the word 'relationship.' "I won't ask you to, Greg, not again. I learned my lesson."

He let his cane drop to the ground with a loud bang that neither of them noticed and spanned her tiny waist with his large hands. Drawing her closer to him, he ignored the screaming voice in his head that this was a huge mistake and kissed her in a way that said he wasn't in a hurry to stop. What started as a gentle kiss soon grew heated when Cameron gasped softly and he took the opportunity to dart his tongue inside her mouth. The first brush with her tongue sent his mind whirling. A not-so-subtle cough pulled them apart.

Wilson was standing in the door with an amused look on his face. Cameron flushed and started to pull away but House tightened his grip. "Yes, Wilson?" He asked grouchily.

"Your patient is awake and probably enjoying the show you and Dr. Cameron seem so willing to put on for her." He stated somewhat sarcastically before walking off back down the hall.

Both glanced at the patient and realized that Wilson had been right about the patient being awake and watching them. House smirked, gently tipped her chin back to facing him and he dropped another passion-filled kiss on her soft lips.

As they drew apart, House smirked at the dazed look on Cameron's face. "The patient awaits." He whispered with a smirk. She nodded distractedly and this time he let her pull away to check on the patient. He made his escape when she was turned away from him.

The memory of her face stayed with him the rest of the day. He was alone in his office later that afternoon and took the opportunity to write a short email.

_Kaeyla,_

_The claim has been successfully staked._

_Greg_

He clicked send and not a moment too soon. The telltale click from heels alerted him to Cameron's approach. He glanced up in time to see her open his door. "Patient is stable."

He nodded, tapping the desk with his fingers, his head tilted down so he was looking up at her through slightly slitted eyes. "Good."

She stepped into his office and leaned against the glass wall. "House, I…"

"Greg. We established the whole first name thing earlier today when I called you Allison and we exchanged spit." He stood and moved around the desk until he was seated in the chair by his couch.

She closed her eyes briefly in amusement and sighed softly. "Greg."

"Allison. Or should I call you something else?" He tilted his head, looking at her curiously. "How about Sexy Momma?"

"How about not?" She sounded like she was holding back a laugh and moved to the couch, taking a seat. They sat there in slightly uncomfortable silence until House broke the still quiet.

"What did you need?"

"Oh yeah." She paused before shaking her head. "Never mind, it wasn't that important."

He frowned up at her as she stood. She smirked and leaned over him, pressing her lips to his forehead. "Don't worry, it was about emotions. Nothing you want to hear about." She turned and walked out of the room.

He was up in a flash and grabbed her arm as she left, turning her around. "Nuh uh, you don't get to leave quite yet." She eyed him suspiciously and he pulled an innocent look. "You surely can't expect to leave without finishing what you start?" He smirked mischievously before kissing her firmly. "Now you can go." He almost smiled at her flushed face and stunned expression and wiggled his eyebrows. "Or you can stay and we can party in here until the cows come home, or in our case, the other ducklings return in the morning."

She blushed again and shook her head with a confused smile. "I'll see you tomorrow, House…Greg." She left the room in a cloud of bewilderment.

This time he did smile at her flustered appearance. "Oh, and Allison?" She turned around and looked at him expectantly. "You're welcome for yesterday."

"How did…?" She asked, flabbergasted.

"I know everything." He interrupted with a half grin still on his face. "Can't promise that yesterday will become a habit. Gotta keep up my reputation of being a heartless bastard and all at work, you know."

"Well, we can't have your rep blown to bits because of a woman." She laughed softly and walked out of the department, a slightly dazed expression still etched on her face.

Oh yeah, he had defiantly staked his claim.

xXx

AN: Gaaah, I hate strong emotional crap, and this was three chapters of emotional stuff. Sheesh! Don't worry, the next chapter will have more medical stuff. I knew this chapter wasn't gonna be shorter…geez….hope it makes up for how long it took me to post it…Is it just me, or are my chapters getting longer…and longer…and LONGER?

Many thanks to Blueherronz who suggested that I bring Dotty back to annoy Chase!


	13. Workaholics Anonomous

Story Title: Touch of Destiny

Chapter 13: Fragile Moments

Chapter summery: The case continues to baffle the diagnostic's team and House has no idea what to label his relationship with Cameron as.

xXx

Disclaimer: Not mine, unless you don't recognize a character. Then it is mine, and you shouldn't take it.

AN: Good lord, it's been a month or so….wow. (dodges rotten tomatoes) Apologies to you all! School gets the best of us sometimes. Special thanks to Tinkbaby who gave me a GREAT idea that I am totally going to use. :-D

xXx

obsessedwithstabler: Oh, my dear. I'm glad you think that it was adorable. And I know you won't stop being evil. I think that we've all come to expect it…

LittleDragonfly23: I'm glad you loved it. I'll update when I can…as usual. :-P

DarkAngelXF: Thanks! Hope you enjoy this one too!

Sweetgreuy: Well, it had been the day before that the locker room incident had happened…I think. Great, now I don't remember…oh yeah. It was the day before. That's what House meant by "you're welcome for yesterday." Glad you liked the chapter!

Colonelheather: I'm glad that you liked it! I'm also glad to know that I don't disappoint:-D

Guardian.Ghost: Oh, there will be plenty of harassing Chase to come. (evil grin) House rocks!!!

whoKMH: Yes, and their relationship will slowly blossom.

Saz89:-D I'm glad the lack of medical jargon doesn't bother you. However, it does bother me…since it _is_ a medical show and all…and I'm not that great at writing the romance stuff. I'm glad it's brilliant!!! Yay!

xxBuffyfreakxx: Yup, that is why Dotty returned! Don't worry, she'll be back to become the bane of Chase's existence. (evil grin) I'm glad you liked the chapter!

House.Cam-xx: It does indeed keep getting better! As for last weeks episode…did you see the look on House's face? He was greatly amused, I was greatly amused. Hehe! I think Cameron is _trying_ to make House jealous!

Amunett: I guess I just feel that the longer the chapters get, the more I have to live up to. Oh well! Long chapters are good:-D

Breakaway01: yay for having things in common! It's fun making Chase miserable, especially since he's the one screwing Cameron in the show. Grumble. Anyhow…no worries about the fluff, it'll be there:-D And thanks for the complement. I'm glad you think I'm talented!

SilvaK: huge grin Yay! Thanks! I'll update as soon as I can. Aaaah, the joys of writing!

Akkalabeth: I'm glad you loved it! Yeah, I'm bad at writing the whole "mushy" scenes, but I'm improving. That's why I don't write smut…I can't. lol. No worries, the chapters will probably stay the same length. More is coming!

Aly the Spy: I like the fluffy romance too! But, alas, I am not well versed in the "romance" category. I love the Fray! They do have awesome piano parts! Yay!

xXx

The next morning, the diagnostics team sat around the table, each with their cup of coffee, working with their boss to figure out the problem with the patient.

"So the coma woman is no longer in a coma." House mused almost to himself, staring at the board with the black pen in hand. "Differential diagnosis." He said loudly, turning around to eye each of the team.

"A tumor." Foreman suggested.

House pondered the idea and wrote it down. "What else?"

"She could have a worm in her brain, we've had it before." Chase added.

House shook his head in the negative but wrote it down anyway. "And it's extremely rare for it to occur again. What else? C'mon people, think!"

"Huntington's disease." Cameron said hesitantly.

House shook his head and threw her a glare. "Doesn't match any of the symptoms. But thank-you for playing random diagnosis roulette."

"It does match one." Chase spoke up with a sheepish look at his boss. "This morning when the nurse went to check on the patient, she noticed that she's starting to jerk around in a non-seizure way. She's starting to lose control of her muscles."

"And you're just now telling me?" House pushed his lips into a thin line and frowned at the board. "Okay, so we add chorea to the list. Still doesn't match."

"The chorea does." Chase insisted, feeling a bit more bold. "Besides, how do we know that the other symptoms aren't there? She hasn't had any visitors so we can't get the family's opinion, and she most likely would lie about it anyway."

House gave Chase a long look that clearly said _you're not fooling me_.

"Chase is right; she could have other symptoms that we don't know about. And without a family member to describe how she really is, we can't tell if those symptoms are actually occurring." Cameron added, trying to back up her diagnosis.

House scoffed. "Nice try, but give it up, Cameron. It's a bad diagnosis. Next!"

"Pregnancy." Foreman said slowly.

"Could be. Get a patient history and do an ultrasound. While you're at it, take some blood to check for any of the autoimmune." House ordered to Foreman. "Chase, schedule her for an MRI and a CT scan. Cameron, you have clinic duty, don't you? Let me know what you find." He gave them a "shooing" motion with his hands. "Begone, minions! Your evil overlord has his evil plans to make."

Once the three of them were out in the hall, Foreman turned to Chase and Cameron. "Is it just me, or does he seem to be a bit…off-kilter…lately?"

Cameron just shrugged nonchalantly and tried to ignore the ever persistent pair. Sometimes those two just didn't know when to stop.

Chase smirked and answered Foreman. "Nothing more than usual. Though I think Cameron knows something we don't."

"I've already told you that I have no idea what you are talking about." She said firmly, thankful that since they were walking, she didn't have to look at either of them. She wasn't lying. Nothing _was_ going on…at the moment. She wasn't even sure what was going on. But Chase and Foreman didn't have to know about that. She missed the knowing look that passed between the two males over her head.

"Well, if nothing is going on…" Foreman said with a grin, "…then you should have no problem going to lunch with Chase, or dinner, or whatever else he's asked you this week."

"When did I give you permission to barge into my personal life?" Cameron grumbled more to herself than anyone else.

"When we became friends, it automatically entitled me to barge into your personal life." Foreman quipped.

"Right." She rolled her eyes and continued to walk down the hall. "You're a moron."

"And you're being very defensive about House, Allison." He shot back with a small grin.

Cameron stopped abruptly, her eyes flashing with anger. "What does it matter to you anyway, _Eric_?" She snapped, emphasizing his first name. "I don't need you to psychoanalyze my every move."

Chase started to snicker. "Something is definitely going on between you two, Cameron. Every time I so much as look at you, House gives me a death glare. And…" Here he paused for dramatic effect. "…you are starting to sound like him. 'I don't need you to psychoanalyze me.'" He mocked her in a high pitched voice.

"And _you_ are imagining things." Her voice was frustrated and she continued to stalk down the hall, turning the corner to the clinic. "Now if you will excuse me, I have clinic duty." She called over her shoulder.

Foreman looked at Chase who shrugged and headed in the direction of the front desk.

The neurologist sighed and headed to the patient's room to draw the blood for the tests. He walked into the room to see her sitting up and fiddling with the blankets. "Good morning." He said pleasantly.

She looked up at him. "Hi. Are you Dr. House?"

"Thankfully, no. I'm Dr. Foreman. I need to ask you some questions so that we can form a proper background." He had the very air of professionalism, but with a hint of concern for the Jane Doe sitting in front of him.

The woman stared at him, suddenly very closed up. "Why?" She asked sharply, her eyebrows narrowed so they were almost touching.

Foreman gave her a confused look. "We need as much information about your background, family, and any medical conditions so we can figure out what's wrong with you."

She shook her head. "Figure it out without all that."

"That would be rather impossible." Foreman insisted, feeling somewhat annoyed.

She stared at him before relenting. "My name is Sarah. That's all I'm telling you."

He nodded and spoke slowly as not to scare her. "Aright, Sarah. I need to do an ultrasound and draw some blood. Are you okay with that?"

He was startled to see her pull as far away from her as she could. "No, no blood. No ultrasound. I'm not pregnant, I can promise you that."

"The ultrasound is used for more than just figuring out if you're pregnant." Foreman explained. "It can find problems with the heart, liver, or kidneys. The blood I have to have so I can find out if the problem lies in your bloodstream."

She shook her head violently and shrieked. "No! You'll sell it! You'll drain it all and kill me! No blood!" Sarah continued to flail and shriek and even tried to bite Foreman a couple of times when he tried to hold her down.

Foreman pressed the call button rapidly. "Nurse!"

Three nurses came into the room and grabbed the flailing patient. Foreman took the opportunity to sedate her. As she relaxed, he shook his head and drew the two vials of blood. They had one more symptom to add to the list.

xXx

House should've known that Kaeyla's ecstatic email would ask him questions that he didn't really want to answer at that moment, if ever. He wasn't even sure of the answers, even if he thought about it. One thing he was sure of: Kaeyla and Allison were both notorious for asking very personal, uncomfortable questions. He read over the email once more, just to make sure he read it right the first three times.

_Greg!_

_Notice how I've used an exclamation point. I'm sure you can imagine what my reaction was. I want you to know that your last email did indeed make me fall out of my chair. Bill came in to make sure I was alright and I just laughed. I'm sure that he thinks something is dreadfully wrong with me. _

_Continuing on…_

_So, what was her reaction? Does this mean that you two are dating now, or does she just know how you feel? Or did you even actually tell her how you feel…? As a mother, I need to know. But as your friend (I hope you consider me a friend now), I feel like I should be kept in the know. Though I'm sure your friend Wilson has yet to know about your feelings for my daughter. I'm sorry, I probably sound like a giddy teenager, but she is my daughter. I know she'll tell me her side of the story, but I want to hear your side because I know you'll be more level headed about it and give me the straight facts. Allie will tell me the important facts that I want to know, but for some reason, I know that the way you'll describe it will be more down to earth and practical._

A knock on the window turned his head to see Foreman standing there with a knowing expression on his dark face.

"What do you want?" House snapped grumpily.

"We have a new symptom."

House minimized the email and limped over to the window, his gaze calculating Foreman's expression. He gave a short chin-up and opened the door, holding his hand out for the file in Foreman's hand.

"This isn't our patient's." Foreman shook his head. "Add paranoia to the board."

House frowned. "What happened?"

"All I did was ask for some information as well as her consent to do draw blood and do the ultrasound. I thought she was hiding something at first, because all she'd give me was a name: Sarah. Then she freaked out. I had to sedate her to get her blood."

House nodded. "If that isn't her file, then what is it?"

Foreman just smiled and turned to walk away.

"Foreman!" House called after the black man. When Foreman was facing House, the older doctor gave the younger a sardonic grin. "Take over for Cameron in the clinic and send her here."

Foreman just rolled his eyes and headed down towards the clinic. When he was sure he was out of sight, he flipped his phone open. "Chase?" He nodded as he listened to Chase. "Yeah, that's what I thought. Him too." He paused. "Yeah, we do. I'm going to take over for her in the clinic." _Pause._ "Yeah, House need to see her. I'll talk to you later." He clicked the phone closed and grinned. Clinic was going to be worth what was going to happen next.

xXx

Clinic patients tried her patience, Cameron decided as she left exam room three and headed towards the nurses station for her next patient file. She very nearly strangled the man who waited for her. "Chase, I do not have the patience to deal with you or anyone else right now." She grated out as he started to say something. He nodded and wisely let her walk by.

Cameron smiled as she walked into exam room 1. "Hello, I'm Dr. Cameron." She froze when she saw who was in the room. "Oh my god. Excuse me." She backed out and groaned. "Why can't the couples use the roof to make out on instead of inside the exam rooms?" She asked no one in particular, her eyes lifted to the ceiling. She opened the door to exam room 2 more cautiously. Inside was the patient she was supposed to be seeing, a 20 year old girl who was experiencing…you guessed it…strange pains in her throat.

She forced a smile all through the young woman's speech about how much it hurt, and how she'd never felt something this painful before. "I'm sure it's cancer." Emily, or was it Erin, kept insisting.

Allison shook her head and pulled out her thermometer. "Stick this under your tongue and don't move it." She ordered, turning towards the cabinet.

"What does this have to do with my throat hurting?" The girl asked, her confused tone slightly warbled around the glass thermometer.

Just seeing if you have a fever." Cameron asked sweetly, pulling out what she was looking for.

"What is that?" Emily, or Erin, asked, craning her neck to see.

"They're called throat lozenges." She handed the girl the sample pack of chloraseptic drops and wrote on a random tablet the words "Chloraseptic Drops or Spray" and handed the ripped off page to the girl, taking the thermometer out of her mouth. "No fever. You're fine, no strep."

Emily, (Erin?), gave the doctor a strange look. "I never said I thought it was strep."

Dr. Cameron was relieved of having to answer when a knock at the door sounded and Foreman stuck his head in. "I'm supposed to relieve you. Did you see the same thing I did in…"

"… exam room one, yes I did." Cameron said tiredly. She was even starting to sound like House. "Let me guess, House wants me in his office."

"How did...?"

"That would be the only reason he'd send _you_ down here instead of paging me. Meaning…" She clammed up, leaving as swiftly as she could, hoping that Foreman wouldn't catch on to what she almost let slip.

Foreman grinned, knowing that she didn't want him to know what she almost told him. "Meaning it's personal, isn't it Cam?" He murmured before turning to the patient. "So, Emily, is it? What seems to be the problem?" He asked almost cheerfully. Oh what fun he was going to have holding this against his coworker.

xXx

Chase, after he and Foreman were done having fun mocking her, was having one hell of a time getting an MRI scheduled for the unnamed patient. He was currently arguing with nurse on duty.

"We need that MRI machine STAT." Chase insisted. "I work for Dr. House and…"

"Look, I don't care who your patient is, nor do I care that you work for Dr. House. He has to wait his turn just like everyone else, no matter how much he hates it." Apparently, the nurse had been there long enough to know how to deal with House and wasn't impressed with the knowledge that Chase worked for the renowned doctor.

"And I don't care how long the waiting list is!" Chase unconsciously tossed his hair as he tried to keep his anger in check. "She could die without the MRI!" He tried one of House's techniques with the overdramatic, but the nurse remained as unmovable as a boulder being pushed by a mouse.

"So could everyone else who needs the machine." The nurse said tiredly, sick of having the seemingly circular conversation with the young doctor. "Maybe you're new to the staff, but here we…"

"I've been here longer than any of the other fellowship members on Dr. House's staff!" Chase groaned and moved away from the desk as the nurse picked up the phone to answer a call. "Princeton Plainsboro Teaching Hospital."

Now what to do? Chase placed his hands on his hips, trying to figure out what else to do when he saw Cameron leaving exam room three and heading towards the desk. "Cameron!" He started to say something when she interrupted him.

"Chase." She growled. "I do not have the patience to deal with you right now."

At that moment, he was immensely glad that looks couldn't kill. He opted instead to move aside with a nod, watching as she walked by towards the other exam rooms. "Hmm…" He pulled out his phone and pushed speed dial. "Hi, Foreman. I just saw Cameron and she still seems quite…out of it." He listened to Foreman. "Really? I think that there is something going on and we need to figure out what." _ Pause._ "Yeah? That'll be fun for you. House ordered it, I assume?" _Pause._ "I wonder what she did that warranted House needing to see her." _Pause._ "Yeah, later." He hung up the phone and grinned. The next few days were going to be glorious torturing his boss and Cameron. He tried not to think of the consequences such actions would entail and instead focused on what pranks to pull.

xXx

Cameron sighed and leaned against the side of the elevator the moment the doors closed, thankful that the metal box was empty for once. _What on earth could House want me for?_ She was soon to find out. She stepped into the office and looked around. She finally caught sight of him sprawled out on the floor, his arm flung over his eyes, his iPod in his ears. She smiled at the child-like aura he presented and was content to watch him for a moment.

Her phone rang and Cameron sighed at the inopportune interruption. "Hi, Mom." He looked up when she said that, his eyes boring holes into hers. She just gave a small smile and started to turn away. "I'm at work. No it's fine." She looked down to see House tugging on the bottom of her lab coat. "Hang on, Mom." She quirked one eyebrow as if to say, _yes, Greg?_

"Tell her that Greggy-poo says hi." He whispered mischievously. "She'll know who it is."

Cameron shot him a look that said he'd better explain later and complied with his wish. "Oh, Mom? I was told to say 'Greggy-poo' says hi." She was startled at the loud bout of laughter that burst through the receiver. With a slightly confused expression, she looked down at House. "She said 'Mumsy Dearest says hi back.' Something you want to explain? Hang on, Mom." She moved her cell away from her mouth and frowned at him.

House felt a moment of panic. He had yet to tell Cameron about his frequent emails to her mom. He reached out his hand. "Hand me the phone." When she didn't, he wiggled his fingers. "I promise, I will explain later. Just hand me the phone. Please." He added the last part as an afterthought.

She moved her hand enough so that he could reach the phone. Pulling off his headphones, he leaned against the desk and propped the cell between his shoulder and chin.

"Hello, Kaeyla." He paused and then grinned slightly. "Yes, it's me. Surprise, surprise." Another pause, another grin. "Well, she was quite confused. Still is, if I can read her expression correctly." The grin turned to a sheepish look. "No, not yet." He winced at the bout of yelling he heard. Cameron couldn't make out what her mom was saying but she knew it was probably well deserved, though she couldn't figure out how. "Well, I was going to later, like, maybe when she mentioned me needing to meet 'the parents' but nooo. You had to ruin that." Cameron looked horrified at the sarcastic tone he had taken with her mother but was surprised to hear him give a short laugh. "Yes, mother." He snarked before turning serious. "Yes, I do." Cameron was hit with the realization that he had met her mother before, maybe during that trip he took. A warm feeling settled in her gut at the thought. House continued on, oblivious to Cameron's thoughts. "Yes, I promise." He glanced at Cameron who gave him a soft smile. "Uh, oh. I think your daughter just figured out something." He eyed her warily as she moved quietly towards him, a tender look in her eyes. "Yup, she just did. Looks like I didn't have to tell her after all." He paused when she leaned down and kissed him lightly, pulling back before he could turn it deeper. "Umm, Kaeyla, I'm going to have to…"

She snatched the phone from his hand. "He has to go now, Mom. But I'll make sure he calls you later. I'll call you later. I have a certain 'Greggy-Poo' to deal with." She giggled somewhat nervously. "Mom! We're at work, of course I won't! Bye!" She clicked the phone shut and tossed it onto his desk. "So you've been having secret rendezvous with my mother for how long now? A couple of weeks, maybe a month?" She had retreated and was now leaning against his bookshelves with an unreadable expression on her face.

House struggled to his feet, mimicking her pose at his desk, not quite meeting her eyes. "Something like that." He wasn't about to say anything else.

She smiled again and pushed off the shelves lightly, her eyes never leaving his face, moving until she was standing in front of him, not touching him, but watching him with her arms crossed across her chest. "So what was so important that you called me from clinic duty?"

He shrugged nonchalantly. "I wanted to annoy you?" He suggested, finally meeting her gaze.

She smirked. "Unlikely, though very likely knowing you." She pondered that thought and shrugged. "Well, if it wasn't anything important…" She turned to leave but found herself almost crushed against the solid chest of her boss, his hand on her wrist, the other on her waist. She smiled and moved her free hand to his face. He nibbled on her finger and quickly leaned down to capture the gasp with his lips.

"You, me, dinner, tonight?" He asked between kisses.

"What time?" She pulled back slightly and smiled.

"7:30. Dress casual. Have I mentioned before that low-rider jeans are hot?" He teased, kissing her lightly once more before suddenly moving away from her, instantly becoming 'House' once more. She looked slightly confused before she heard the footsteps that obviously belonged to Cuddy and one other person. Wilson, maybe?

"Get an EKG and get that MRI. Little Chase and his hair hasn't had any luck yet, maybe you can use your 'feminine assets' to get that MRI for us." House snapped grumpily at Cameron who was slightly taken back at his tone, though she knew why he had adopted it. She nodded briskly, though she winked at him to show she wasn't angry with him, and turned away, nearly plowing over Cuddy and Wilson as she left.

"And yet another duckling is pissed." Wilson sighed. "House, one of these days they're going to find greener pastures and nicer shepherds."

"That would be feasible if they were sheep. They're not. They're my ducklings." House had a sardonic grin on his face.

Cuddy rolled her eyes. "And their contracts are almost up." She handed him three folders. "Give the folders to them and explain to them that if they wish to continue here under your fellowship, they can after they fill out the appropriate paper work. If not, then they can either apply to work in their department here or where ever they so choose." She shoved the file into his hands when he wouldn't take them and stalked out of the room.

Wilson took House's expression in and decided to take a stab in the proverbial dark. "Wasn't expecting that, were you?"

He mutely shook his head, his eyes dark with an emotion Wilson couldn't place. House glanced at the manila folders and was curious to see that Cameron's was sealed with a privacy sticker over the flap. He went to open it when he heard a cough. He glared at Wilson who had a knowing look on his face.

"House, if you want Cameron to trust you, don't open that." Wilson had a slight frown on his face, his hands on his hips in his classic 'I'm telling you this for your own good' pose.

"She trusts me." House muttered, itching to find out why hers was sealed.

"Don't ruin this." Wilson warned softly. "Not before it's even started."

House glared at Wilson, but set the folders down. "Fine, happy? Time to go help Cameron get that MRI scheduled." He stalked out of the room leaving Wilson standing there shaking his head slowly.

xXx

House didn't go to find Cameron, instead making his way slowly up the stairs to the roof. He wasn't sure why he tortured himself physically by going up there, but it was a good place to hide and to think and to generally help himself mentally. As usual, his thoughts were swirling in his head much like a tornado in a small Oklahoma town. However, this time his thoughts all swirled around a single topic: Allison Cameron. There was only one reason he could think that her contract would be sealed, and he wasn't sure he liked the idea.

The sound of a door opening turned his head around and he glared at the person who joined him. "What, coming to force me into actually doing my clinic hours? I can't, mommy, I'm trying to figure out what I'm going to tell my wonderful ducklings to let them know how much I'm going to miss them when they leave me in a few weeks." He wiped a pretend tear away and turned away to stare out over the hospital grounds, gritting his teeth when he felt Cuddy move next to him.

"Why don't you ever give a serious answer?" She asked him, the usual venom missing from her words.

House bristled internally. "Why do you care?" _Why can't you come up here when I need you, Allison?_

"Because I'm your boss, House." Cuddy sighed and leaned on the wall next to him. "And believe it or not, I do care about you."

House snorted. "Cameron cares about me. You care about me not destroying your baby."

Cuddy felt a pain in her heart before realizing that he was referring to the hospital. Damn her and her desires to be a mother. "Yes, that's all I care about." She said dryly. "I've learned that there is more to life than this hospital."

House just eyed her from the corner of his eye. "Have you?" He asked with a slight hint of malice before turning away and heading painfully back down the stairs.

Cuddy just sighed and stayed where she was, staring into oblivion, thinking about what he had said. Did she really drown herself so much in the hospital that she didn't realize how deep in she really was? She shook her head slightly to rid herself of those thoughts. She really needed a vacation.

xXx

House searched the entire hospital for Cameron but all he found was that Chase was really bad at hiding his mischievousness and Foreman was cheerfully working in the clinic. It was that last part that creeped him out. Clinic was not supposed to make someone _cheerful_. He stood in the middle of the hall and blew air through his pursed lips, thinking of all the places he hadn't looked that she could possibly be in. He snapped his fingers and turned around, moving down the hall fairly rapidly for a cripple. He burst into Wilson's office to find…nothing. No one was in sight and he frowned deeply. _Now where?_

He turned and headed down to the cafeteria. Maybe Wilson got hungry. He poked his head around the corner before stepping in and scanning the room. Sure enough, there was Wilson who was eating with…Cameron. Why hadn't he thought to look here before? He felt something akin to jealousy but quickly dismissed the thought and instead sauntered over to the table and parked himself in the empty seat, snatching Wilson's chips and opening the bag with a loud pop. He smirked when Wilson rolled his eyes at the quite familiar action and turned his gaze to Cameron. She just smiled lightly and took another bite of her salad.

House narrowed his eyes slightly and crunched on a chip loudly. "So, why wasn't I invited to this party?"

"It was a spur of the moment decision." Cameron said quickly before Wilson could say anything. She stood up, her trash in hand. "I'm going to check on the MRI list again. See if I have better luck now with a different nurse." She grinned wryly and headed off towards the nurses' station.

House frowned at her retreating back. "Why?"

"Why what?" Wilson sounded confused.

"You're eating with her. Why?"

"Is eating with Allison is one of those 'taboo' items I should avoid?" Wilson asked sarcastically.

House glowered at his friend and refused to answer.

"Right," Wilson said defensively. "How true, I forgot…I am completely incapable of having a platonic, simple lunch with a colleague," Wilson finished sarcastically.

"My colleague," House corrected.

"Exactly," Wilson said, raising his eyebrows. "The only other person on the planet, who actually gives a damn about you…what were we thinking? Sitting there worrying about how you were. Talking to each other, because it's too damned hard to get you to open up about anything."

House made a popping noise with his lips and scrunched his face up in his classic thinking face. "I don't open up to anyone. She shouldn't try to change that."

"She's not trying to change you, House." Wilson said patiently. "She just wanted to know if you weren't just playing with her mind, which is, keep in mind, something she has a right to fear."

"Would I do something like that?" House asked innocently, tilting his chin up slightly, tapping it with a long digit. "Yup." He decided firmly. "I would." His look turned to a dark, pensive one. "But I'm not." He stood up and stalked off towards his office, leaving behind Wilson once again who wondered what just happened. House was the most unpredictable man he knew.


	14. Thinking Hurts Sometimes

Story Title: Touch of Destiny

Chapter 14: Thinking Hurts Sometimes

Chapter summery: Cuddy gets a headache, Chase loses, and Cameron wins.

xXx

Disclaimer: Not mine, unless you don't recognize a character. Then it is mine, and you shouldn't take it.

AN: I hate writers block. Any ideas people want to throw at me are welcome. I may or may not use them, but they are welcome nonetheless. Oh, and I decided that if someone wants to flame me, do so. I need something to snark at. (this is my smirking face------ :-/ ) Although, the delay is also caused by me beta-ing my stuff myself. I don't want another horridly gramafied chapter, not that this sentence is helping much. I'd ask someone to be a beta, but I'm too irregular to how I do my chapters, so it really wouldn't work…yeah, I know. I'm stubborn and I have ADD. Oh, and if you check it, which I'm sure you can with the copy/paste feature, this is over 17 pages long. Does that help redeem me in making ya'll wait?

Also, I can use any ideas about the "romance" stuff. While I am a female, I am not too into the whole "lovey-dovey, dreamy-eyed, bunnies-are-fluffy" crap. Any ideas would be much appreciated, especially if those ideas were put into private message form. I save those in a little folder in my inbox of my email. Not that any of you cared to know about that…

Anywhoo, enjoy the next installment of the wondrous tale of House and Cameron's undying love. Wow, that was oober sappy…I'm off to watch a manly movie. Like James Bond…or 300…or Mission Impossible…or something.

xXx

LittleDragonfly23: oh this is fun! I'm glad you like it!

Sweetgreuy: Isn't possessive House fun? Ahhh, it's great! I love the "not dull" moments.

CamFan4Ever: I'm glad you love it! School prevents from frequent updates…but I update when I can!

SilvaK: It is good to be back. I'm glad you liked the scene! I realized as I was finishing the chapter that I have drifted from the fact that the shooter has yet to be found…lol. Back on topic!

whoKMH: (huge grin) Ahhh, I love the sweet smell of satisfaction! I'm glad that that scene worked out. I wasn't really sure. It's perfect!

Obsessedwithstabler: I'm sorry! We are the queens of procrastination, along with my friend Joni….the two of us have a horrid habit of staying up until 4 working on papers…. Hehe! Yes, you go update!

Alexandretta: THE dinner is coming. Not sure exactly when….

House.Cam-xx: I know…I'm just _that_ good. P I'm glad you're liking this!!

Fallenangelcries: Yay! Another fan! As usual, the updates come when they can. As for Chase…

xxBuffyfreakxx: I'm glad you liked the update! I'm having fun with this.

Tiflissa: Thanks dear! I feel honored to be on the list of "Greatest with this twist". (grin) Look, I updated!

Alexa Twitch: I personally like a more human House. You do see glimpses of it during the show, so I took those moments and ran. Not…literally ran…but….oh bother… Enjoy this chapter!

xXx

Cuddy pressed her fingers against her temples, hoping to relieve her headache. Another call from the police department, Tritter to be specific, had not helped her day go any better. Something about Cameron, Chase, or Foreman coming and identifying the man who had shot her even though they were almost sure that it wasn't the man they caught, blah, blah, blah. She was sick of the bastard haunting her hospital with his ghost, even if he wasn't there in person.

She froze as the thought passed her mind. What if the shooter _was_ in the hospital? That would explain why they couldn't find the shooter on the tape entering or leaving the building. A dark look unknowingly entered her eyes as she thought of one of her own staff committing such a horrific crime. But then again, why would a staff of the hospital shoot Cameron instead of House if they were indeed looking for House. Or did they truly mean to shoot Cameron and had only asked for House as a pretense?

_Ugg._ She thought, jamming her fists onto her temples to try and rid her head of the wave of pain that shot through. _Too much thinking, too much speculation._ But the pesky notion that the shooter was a worker for the hospital wouldn't leave her mind, however unlikely it may be. A knock at the glass brought her gaze to Wilson's concerned face. She gave him a half smile and he slowly opened the door.

"Lisa, everything okay?" Wilson's tone held only concern for the worn out Dean of Medicine.

She was about to tell him about her thoughts when an unwelcome thought flashed through her minds eye. _What if it was Wilson?_ The idea in itself was ridiculous but she couldn't be too careful. If she remembered correctly, the only time any one had seen Wilson was when House was waiting outside the ER…after the shooting. She smiled at him, praying it was real enough to fool him, though she knew him better than that to think that a forced smile would fool him. He spent too much time with House to fall for that trick. "Everything is fine, James. What did you need?" Her eyes drifted to the stack of paper work and she reached for it as he answered.

He frowned slightly at the forced smile she had given him. "I just wanted to make sure you were actually getting enough sleep. I know how much this whole thing with Cameron getting shot is worrying you." He hesitated slightly before continuing. "You have any ideas yet on who the shooter is or could be?"

The only response he got was a grunt and a slight wince from the woman sitting in front of him and he frowned deeper, the gears turning in his head. "You won't answer me vocally, which means it's someone close to me. I know it's not House, because he was hiding in an exam room, and he'd never shoot Cameron anyway. It's obviously not Foreman or Chase because they were there. And it's definitely obvious that it's not Cameron." He paused, thinking before his eyes widened. "You…you can't think…?" He gaped at her openly, his hands gesturing helplessly, motioning between himself and her. "You can't possibly think _I_ did it?"

Cuddy froze and swallowed, trying to come up with an answer. She lifted her eyes to meet his and hesitated. But before she could speak, Wilson cut her off with a diagonal slice of his hand, having his question answered with her look. "Forget it." He snapped bitterly. "I thought you knew me better than that." He slammed the door on his way out, causing Cuddy to wince again.

She sighed. He was picking up on House's abilities in reading and analyzing people more and more everyday. In her heart, she knew that Wilson couldn't and wouldn't have shot Cameron, but her head forced her to think otherwise. The hospital was her baby, and each and every employee was important to her. She was about to continue working on the paperwork when shouting voices boomed from the lobby. Her head shot up at the commotion outside her door and she watched the scene unfold before her eyes, her heart heavy at the anger she had caused in Wilson.

xXx

House shoved the last file into his bag and zipped it shut. Grasping his cane tightly, he limped into the conference room and stared at Cameron who was lost in her own world. With a smirk, he used his cane to pull the ear bud of her iPod out of her ear. He met her glare with an innocent look and gave her a chin up. "C'mon. I'm leaving now. It's 6. I'm sure you have lots to do for our date tonight. If you hurry, I might just walk you to your car."

She pondered this thought and smiled. "I suppose I should take the time to look presentable." She tried to sound put-out but failed miserably.

House shook his head and tsked. "No, you look presentable now. I want you hot. Steamy, boiling, temperature of the sun hot. Hot with a capital…"

"Enough." She interrupted with a laugh, closing her laptop. "I was just getting ready to leave anyway."

He nodded and stared at the ground. He barely refrained from jumping when a soft hand touched his arm. They walked out of the department side by side, quiet, the only sounds heard were his cane thudding and her heals clicking.

The elevator opened and the pair stepped out, looking to all the world as if it were mere coincidence that they happened to be in the same elevator at the same time. All seemed right in the lobby, but there was a slight hint of tension that House picked up on immediately. Cameron soon caught on when Wilson nearly plowed her over.

"Watch where you're going, Dr. Cameron." Wilson snarled impatiently, his unnecessarily loud voice ricocheting off the walls of the lobby.

Cameron's eyes widened and she moved herself out of his way. "Sorry, Dr. Wilson." She eyed him, confused and concerned. She had seen him leave Cuddy's office as if a pack of wolves was on his tail. "Are you…?"

He whirled around and fixed a glare at her. "Do you think I'd shoot you?" He asked, still yelling.

She gaped at him, not realizing House had adopted the same expression, only his was tinted with anger at Cuddy. "She accused you of shooting me?" Cameron's tone was incredulous. "First of, he asked for House. Secondly, he didn't look a thing like you!"

"I know!" Wilson threw his hands up in the air and stalked off towards his office.

House didn't say anything through the whole exchange. He just glared at Cuddy's office door as if staring at it would cause the Wicked Witch of the Clinic inside to burn. He watched Wilson walk off and eyed Cameron from the corner of his eye. "Wilson?" He asked as a question to Cuddy's mental state of mind.

Cameron rolled her eyes. "Cuddy's taking this too far." She grumbled irritably. "Wilson didn't shoot me. The guy was fat. Wilson's not fat. Wilson's far from fat." The pair headed towards the sliding glass doors of the entrance, both eager to vacate the premises.

"House!" Cuddy appeared in the doorway and yelled at him as he was just about to escape from the hospital with Cameron from the wrath of Wilson. "My office, now!"

"Coming, mistress!" House yelled to her in return, greatly annoyed at having been deterred from leaving once again. He turned to the woman at his side and muttered sullenly. "She'd better not try and keep me later."

She just smiled knowingly. "I'll see you at 7:30."

He winked at Cameron and waltzed across the room to Cuddy's office, leaving behind a bemused Cameron who was trying to figure out if he really just winked at her or if she had only imagined it.

Once House was inside Cuddy's office, she softly closed the door behind him and moved around him towards her desk. Sitting down, she buried her face in her hands and groaned. "That whole scene was my fault."

"Ya think?" House rolled his eyes. "You all but accused him of trying to murder Cameron, who, by the way, told me that the guy who shot her was fat. No male employee here is fat, so you can rule that idea out." He was pissed that she would go so far as to accuse not only his best friend, but one of his _only_ friends, of trying to shoot the young immunologist. _My immunologist, _his traitorous mind taunted. He mentally glared at the voices taunting him and focused instead on trying to melt Cuddy with his look of death.

"Look, I'm sorry." She tried to apologize, wincing inside at the death glare he was currently shooting her with. "I'm just trying to get the bastard who shot her in jail so he can't come and shoot you as well. It was logical to start in the hospital."

House just stared at her with icy cold blue eyes. "Time to move the search to _outside_ the hospital, Detective. Try former patients of _mine_ seeing as the bastard asked for _me_." He turned on his heal but before he left, he turned to face her again. "Page Twiddle-Dee and Twiddle-Dumb and tell them that one of them has to stay and watch the patient. I have a date tonight."

With that, he smirked and left with such a purposeful stride despite the limp that she couldn't help but admire his strength, no matter how much of it was an outward farce. As much of an asshole he was, he stood up for what he believed was right, no matter the consequence. She sighed and picked up the phone to page Foreman and Chase. As she hung up the phone, she fleeting wondered if House had given the three fellowship members the folders with their applications/resignation papers. _Obviously not_, she realized as she saw the pair she had paged exiting the elevator. _He'd be pissy about what Cameron's says._

xXx

"Have fun tonight." Foreman had gloated about being able to go home. He had flung his bag over his shoulder and waved at the forlorn Dr. Chase who had been slouched in a chair at the diagnostics table.

"Go to hell." He had grumbled without malice, causing Foreman to laugh.

"Hey, I have to go ID someone." Foreman reminded him good naturedly. "Call me _only_ if you need me or if she codes." And with that, Foreman was gone to enjoy his evening of solitude.

Chase was greatly annoyed at having drawn the short straw, so to speak, forcing him to remain at the hospital for the night. He did not want to be forced to baby sit a woman who didn't talk, didn't trust anyone, and who was currently in a state of severe paranoia and massive OCD. She could lash out at anyone at any time, but she could also be sweet and answer questions. She had reorganized everything within sight at least five times, as well as laid out all her pills in color order before putting them in order by size _before_ she'd take them. He groaned as he wrote the newest symptom on the board. So far, they were looking at a long list of symptoms that didn't match to anything. At least she wasn't seizing. Yet…

Not five seconds after he wrote the most recent symptoms down his pager went off. _Patient Seizing_. "Ah, damn it." He muttered as he ran down the hall towards the patient's room. "I have the worst luck."

Bursting into the patient's room, he barked out orders. "10 milligrams of Ativan, stat!"

"I already gave her the Ativan!" The nurse currently holding the seizing patient snapped. "We nurses aren't complete idiots like House and all you other doctors might like to believe."

Chase nodded. "Sorry. I didn't mean to snap. It's late and I'm tired." He watched as the patient calmed down and sighed. "Page me if anything medically relevant happens to her. I don't want to have to come down here for something trivial, like 'she sighed in her sleep, Dr. Chase. We just though you should know.'" He mocked in a high pitched voice before closing his eyes tiredly. "I'll be in the Diagnostics wing." With a sleep deprived glare at the nurses in the room, he slid the door open and exited, not bothering to close the sliding door behind him.

He trudged down the dark halls, his mind not on the patient, but on Allison Cameron. There was no way she could prefer House to himself. Chase thought of himself as young, cute, _great_ in bed (or so in his opinion), and could provide her all she could ever want. House was…old, grumpy, and set in his ways. And with that leg, he probably wasn't that great in bed, not that Chase had any notion to _ever_ find out personally. House would never be able to give Allison what she really needed: romance. The grumpy diagnostician was too bitter and depressed to truly romance her. A slight hint of a smile loosened his tight features. She'll come running back to him the moment House hurts her, he was certain of it. All he had to do was wait it out, he thought with a self-satisfied smirk. House would screw up, it was inevitable. Chase thanked God that he was a very patient man when it came to Allison Cameron.

xXx

House had not wanted Wilson to know about his date with Cameron, but as he stared at the row of ties in his closet, he wished that his friend was there to tell him what matched and what didn't. He groaned as he stared at the mirror.

"This is ridiculous." House muttered, throwing the ties down on the bed and flopping down on the edge, holding his head in his hands. Wilson's voice echoed through his head. _I think she likes lame_. "She likes lame." He repeated out loud in a muttered voice, staring at the floor between his legs.

He hated feeling so unsure. He liked feeling in control, strong, emotionless. He wasn't accustomed to having the conflict of emotions ricocheting inside his skull like a metal ball inside a pinball machine. He groaned inwardly. He really needed to find some better metaphors, especially to describe his feelings for the young Dr. Cameron. He glared at the ties in his hands and glanced at the phone.

Screw the ties. He did tell her to wear low rider jeans, even if it were only a joke. He was going casual, and for some reason, she seemed to prefer that on him anyway. He picked up the phone and dialed a somewhat familiar number. When the call went to her answering machine, he smirked as he heard her slightly sarcastic message.

"_You've reached_ Doctor_ Allison Cameron. Since I didn't answer the phone, that means I'm not here. If you want to know why, listen to the beginning of my name again and listen this time. Leave a message please." _

When he heard the beep, he spoke in a low voice. "It would appear that I'm rubbing off on you, Allison. I was serious when I said low-rider jeans were hot. Wear them. I'm still picking you up at 7:30." He hung up, the smirk still gracing his features.

He wasn't about to make the second date a repeat of the first one. He was going to try to duplicate the friendly atmosphere they had had at the monster truck rally, because while he was in total control at the forced date, she had somehow managed to force questions on him that he didn't want to answer. This time, he was going to be in total control of the whole thing. And if she somehow managed to weasel in an uncomfortable question, as terrifying as it sounded, he'd answer truthfully. Well, as truthfully as is possible for him. His mind drifted to the sealed envelope Cuddy had handed him for Cameron. He had a sinking suspicion as to what was inside but refused to dwell on 'might-be's', instead determining to deal with the three envelopes, and their recipients save for Allison, _tomorrow_ and not a moment sooner.

xXx

Cameron had decided on the ride home that a shower was needed as soon as she got home. She was more than a little perturbed at Cuddy's jumping to conclusions about who had shot her. Hell, she was the one who was shot, and she was less worried about it than the Dean of Medicine. With a grumble, she locked her car and headed up to her apartment door. Unlocking the door, she stepped inside the apartment, closing and locking the door behind her. She completely bypassed the blinking answering machine and stripped off her outer layer of clothing, leaving herself clad only in her bra and panties. Turning the water on, she let it run as she examined herself in the mirror. Careful scrutiny of her face told her that she probably could use more sleep. Hell, she did need more sleep. The bags under her eyes could attest to that. With a pained sigh, she finished stripping and stepped into the shower.

The steaming water pounded on her tense muscles and she could feel herself relax under the steady stream of hot water. Not surprisingly, her thoughts turned back to House. Though, this time, her thoughts weren't happy ones. The whole scene with Wilson brought up feelings she hadn't recognized she had. She realized that what she was most worried about was the bastard coming back after he realized that first off, 'Dr. House' wasn't dead and secondly, he hadn't actually shot Dr. House in the first place. She didn't want a repeat of what had happened a year prior. She still shuddered every time the image of House's blood staining the floor passed in her minds eye or the sight of him during those three horrid days of not knowing if he was going to emerge out of his ketemine-induced coma.

Her phone ringing in the distance brought her mind from shooting to the present. With a groan, she shook her head and rinsed the soap out of her hair. She needed to stop thinking such morbid thoughts, especially right before a date with House. Rinsing the soap off her body, she turned off the water and wrapped her huge white towel around her body. A quick paw through her closet revealed next to nothing she actually wanted to wear for their date tonight. A fleeting thought flew through her mind. _He did say that low-rider jeans were hot. Does that mean…?_ She walked out to the living room and pushed the message button.

The first message was her mother, begging her to call her. The next three were from Joe, claiming that he wanted to see her if she'd just give him her address. These she deleted with vigor, her mind plotting all sorts of evil things to do to him if he kept calling her incessantly like this. The last message was from House. She smiled as she listened to his message.

"_It would appear that I'm rubbing off on you, Allison. I was serious when I said low-rider jeans were hot. Wear them. I'm still picking you up at 7:30."_

She determined that he was truly being serious and she sighed in relief. _At least I won't have to try and figure out what dress to wear._ She moved back to her room and let the towel drop, wrapping her soft robe around herself instead. With her hair still dripping down her back, she pulled out her rarely worn low-rider jeans and a tight red spaghetti strap top and laid it out on the bed. Scrutinizing the outfit she had picked, she finally nodded in approval to herself and set off to the bathroom to dry her hair. House was going to fall over himself at the sight of her, she was determined.

xXx

At precisely 7:30, the sound of wood knocking on wood reverberated throughout her entire apartment and, she was sure, the rest of the building. With a slight grimace, she glanced in the mirror once more and rolled her eyes when he kept knocking. She unlocked the door and opened it to reveal the sexiest sight she had probably seen to date.

House stood before her in almost his normal attire. However, instead of his worn blue jeans he had, in its place, donned dark blue and well-kept denim. And in place of his too-small sports coat, he wore a red button up shirt that was open, revealing the solid black t-shirt beneath. The appraising look he gave her made her feel hot, beautiful, and desired all at the same time. "You look…nice." He managed awkwardly, wishing he could say what he was really thinking. _More than nice, Allie. I'm fucking hard just looking at you!_

Cameron felt her breath hitch in her throat at the sight of House. Somehow, she managed to find her words somewhere in the recesses of her brain. "Thank-you." _God, he's so sexy._ She couldn't believe that he was actually taking her out somewhere, though, knowing him, it was probably to Wendy's or better yet, a bar. She almost grinned at the last thought and instead grabbed her black leather jacket from the hook. "Let's go." Locking her door behind her, the pair made their way to House's bike.

"Where are we going?" Cameron ventured to ask as they approached the bike.

House shot her a look and smirked. "That, my dear, is a surprise."

10 minutes later, they were pulling up in front of Joe's Bar and Grill and Cameron swallowed her laughter as they walked up to the front door. She had so nailed that one. Much to her surprise, he held the door open for her and motioned for her to enter. With a hand on the small of her back, he leaned down to whisper into her ear. "This place has great food and an even better bar."

"Oh really?" She said slyly. "Then I suppose you'll be making use of the bar." At his sideways look, she grinned. "Just keep in mind that I want to make it home alive, and I can't drive your bike."

House just made a face at her and poked her in the side as he passed to claim a table. Sitting down, he peered up at her with an impish look. "I'd pull out your chair and all, but I don't want to appear like I'm trying to be _nice_ and all."

Cameron just rolled her eyes and smirked. "I never asked you to." Sitting down, she made herself comfortable and threw out the last proverbial card. "Besides, I'm perfectly capable of handling myself. I don't actually _need_ someone to hold open a door, pull out my chair, carry my oh-so-heavy bag…" She rolled her eyes again and opened the menu.

The last one was said with such a heavy load of sarcasm that House caught himself staring at her to make sure it was indeed his sweet immunologist he had taken out to dinner. He felt an unexpected feeling flood him. Was he actually…_angry_?

He watched her through slitted eyes suspiciously until she looked up at him again. When she caught his eyes with hers, she just winked conspiratorially and went back to her menu. He was even more agitated and he wasn't even sure why. He wasn't uncomfortable, he wasn't pissed, he was just…annoyed? That was it. Annoyed. Annoyed that she plain out told him that she didn't need him, though want him was another story…

"House."

A less-controlled man would have jumped out of his skin at Cameron calling his name, but luckily for him, he was a very composed man. "Cameron." He risked a look at her to find her looking smugly at him.

"I made you think about that, didn't I?" It was more of a statement than a question and House found that while he wanted to deny it, he didn't have the heart to contradict her, especially when she was right.

"Yup." He decided to stick with safe, one syllable answers.

"House." She leaned in and tapped his chin, bringing his eyes back to hers. "I don't mind it when men do that for me. I don't view it as being nice, I view it as that they think of me as something that is important enough to _want_ to do that for me."

He broke the link by moving his gaze to somewhere over her shoulder. For a long 30 seconds, he just stared before moving his gaze back to her eyes. "You're worth it." He said firmly, leaning back in his chair once more, his eyes speaking more than he ever could.

She knew she shouldn't, but she let the warm feeling that started deep in her belly course through the rest of her body. With a repressed grin, she stared back at the menu. When the waiter returned, she shocked House by ordering a BBQ Burger, the messiest burger on the whole menu. He somehow managed to order his stake, medium rare, and handed the menus to the waiter without looking at him. His gaze was fixated on Cameron who was blissfully unaware of the turmoil she was causing inside him.

He waited until she took a drink of her water before telling her what was on his mind. "I think I like you."

Much to his disappointment, she didn't choke, spit out the drink, bulge her eyes out, or any of those wonderful reactions he was expecting. Instead, she swallowed, looked him right in the eye, and fixed a faux look of shock. "I think I like you too." She tapped a finger on her chin and pretended to look confused. "Now, what comes next…?"

House fixed that dilemma. With a slight bit of hesitation, he leaned over the table and kissed her firmly, sitting back down before she could react. He let the corners of his mouth tilt up in what was a smile for him. "Big revelation, wasn't it."

"Oh yeah, huge."

House frowned at the amount of sarcasm she used and she just smirked back.

The rest of the night progressed much the same. One of them making a statement, the other tossing out a ridiculously glib or sarcastic comment to avoid the horrifically serious stuff. Neither of them was quite ready for the "feelings" part of the relationship discussion that both knew had to happen eventually.

House tossed some bills on the table and stood. "Come, to the bar we go."

"Fine." Cameron stood. "But one drink only. I would like to work tomorrow."

They both sat down and House ordered two scotches. Cameron gave him 'the look' and took the scotch the bartender handed her. House downed his in three swallows and was about to order another one when he remember that he had to drive. With a grimace, he stood up. "I have to pee." She nodded and he walked off towards the bathroom.

Much to her distain, the moment House was gone, another man took his place. Cameron tried not to flinch as the stench of the alcohol on the man's breath wafted to her delicate nose.

"Hey, babe." He stared in a smooth yet drunken voice. "You are one hot chick who…"

"…who's not interested." She finished his sentence calmly, though her mind was screaming for Greg to get his ass back from the bathroom quickly. _How long does it take a guy to take a piss?_ She took a sip of her scotch and ignored the drunken bastard beside her. She suddenly let out a shriek when she felt his hand grab her ass and she whirled around and decked him. "Don't you EVER touch me again!" The furious immunologist turned at the sound of a familiar chuckle.

"Well, I _was_ going to break his skull with my cane, but I see you can take care of it yourself." He motioned to the drunken guy on the floor, now holding his face in his hands. "Hey, bastard." House leaned down to look the man in the face. "Keep your grimy paws of my girlfriend. I have a cane, and I know a great place to put it if I see you around any other female in this room." The man nodded furiously and backed away from House before standing and fleeing from the restaurant.

"Hey, thanks Dr. House." The barkeeper said gratefully. "I never thought I'd say this, but for once your sour attitude has just saved me from calling the cops on him. He hounds this place like a ghost to a haunted mansion."

House managed a grin at the barkeep and placed a hand on the small of Cameron's back. "Shall we make our escape and rendezvous at my place?" He whispered into her ear, causing her to shiver a bit, though not from the cold.

"An escape sounds wonderful, but I have to warn you, Dr. House. I don't put out before the third date." She whispered back, letting him gently push her out the door.

"We're in luck." He said conspiratorially, wagging his eyebrows seductively. "This _is_ our third date."

"Nuh-uh." Cameron smiled as they approached House's bike. "The first trip to the monster trucks wasn't a date. You said so yourself. And that disaster we called a date doesn't count either. So this is only the second date."

House pulled a pout and Cameron laughed. "Sorry big guy." She kissed his cheek and pulled the helmet over her head.

"So much for 'everyone lies.'" House muttered, pulling his right leg over the bike and settling himself comfortable before allowing her to mount the bike. He revved the engine and took off, enjoying the feel of Cameron wrapped tightly around his torso.

xXx

Cameron walked into the diagnostics department expecting it to be void of life. She was looking forward to having an hour or so to herself to mull over the previous night with House. The night had ended pleasantly, with House kissing her as if he were never going to see her again, using it trying to get into her apartment. When she figured out what he was doing, she had pulled away and poked the center of his chest. "Don't even think it, buddy." She had growled playfully, smiling softly at the sexually frustrated look on his face. She had relented and let him in when he gave her the puppy look and kissed her gently. He had ended up spending the night, though she kept to her 'not putting out' ideas. She had woken him up when she left so he'd at least make it to work before noon.

Her hopes for solitude were dashed when even before she entered the door she was bombarded with questions from Wilson.

"Where did you two go last night? And why didn't either of you tell me you were going out?" Wilson had an almost animalistic look as he paced in the conference room, his hair unkempt, his tie hanging loose around his neck, and his dress shirt flapping about un-tucked from his pants. The whole ensemble was the exact same he had worn the day before, except when she had seen him last, he had at least looked more like himself instead of the raving lunatic she was currently viewing in shock.

"Wilson? Are you…?

"No! I'm not fine!"

"Then what's…"

"I was trying to find House all night! I locked myself out of my house _again_ and I needed some place to stay. I called his cell, his home number; I even paged him for chrissake!" He threw his hands up as the volume level on his voice turned up.

"I'm sorry…?"

"He stayed with you, didn't he!" He yelled even louder.

"Well…"

"He did! And he didn't have the courtesy to tell me!" Wilson was still yelling.

"We don't have to answer to you, Wilson." She said calmly. This only seemed to infuriate him further.

"I sat outside his apartment door for an hour before coming back here to sleep in my office only to find that my office is locked and I left my key in my coat pocket which I had left at home. So I came over here because I know House never locks his office. For once he had, so I slept on the floor in here. Okay, I didn't sleep. I've been up for more than 48 hours and…"

"Wilson!" Cameron placed a hand on his arm, effectively cutting him off. "I am sorry, but I'm not the one you need to be yelling at." She moved over to the coffee machine and started a pot brewing, very aware of the holes he was trying to bore through her back.

"I can't believe that you're turning your back on a friend! I figured that you of all people would actually listen, unless you really do believe that I shot you, which in itself is impossible because I wasn't even around the Diagnostics wing, let alone the department!"

She was about to interrupt when Chase burst into the room. "Thank, GOD! Cameron, you're here. Look, I need…"

"Chase! Wilson!" She finally snapped, her head hurting from all the yelling. _And it's not even 7:15 yet_. "I came early to think, sort House's mail, and to work on charting. When 8:30 rolls around, then and ONLY then may you bother me." With a glare, she sat down at her desk and shoved her ear buds into her ears, effectively sending the message that she wasn't to be disturbed.

The two male doctors glared at her then each other before turning on their heals and leaving, Chase in the direction of the patient's room, Wilson in search of a room to sleep in.

Once the pair was gone, Cameron closed her eyes and dropped her head into her hands. The world was ending, that must be what it was. That was the only explanation her tired mind could come up with for all the chaos that had just ensued at 7 in the freaking AM. Her head lifted at the sound of a loud knock on the glass. She smiled briefly at Foreman who just shook his head and entered the room.

"I could hear them the moment I got off the elevator." Foreman sighed. "You okay?"

"I'll be fine." She said firmly, motioning to the papers in front of her. "I'm just going to finish this before checking what Chase found out and running some more tests."

"I'm going to find Chase after I have some coffee. You _did_ make it this morning, right?"

She nodded the affirmative and focused back on the charting. Once Foreman had his mug of coffee in hand, he nodded to Cameron and quickly vacated the premises, leaving his coworker in peace.

When she was sure that she was truly alone, she stood and moved in front of the whiteboard. Staring at the new symptoms Chase had written down, her mind started to work. That was how House found her when he came in an hour later, really early in his standards.

He frowned at the sight of his female subordinate studying the whiteboard as if it the answer would just jump out at her. Stealthily reaching out and grabbing her arm, he grinned inwardly when she shrieked and whirled around, her eyes flashing with anger. She visibly relaxed when she realized it was only House. "God, House. What are you trying to do, kill me?"

"No. I hate having to interview, and I like my immunologist the way she is: alive. I'm not into dating corpses." He made a face and moved to unlock his office door.

She laughed lightly and continued to study the board. "It's Huntington's disease." She murmured quietly, not thinking House could hear her.

"No it isn't!" House yelled from inside his office. "The symptoms don't match." He moved back into the main room, eager for some much needed coffee to start the day. "Trying to prove something, Dr. Cameron?" He teased.

"Maybe." Her voice remained low. "I'm going to talk to the patient. Page me if either Foreman or Chase finds anything new."

xXx

Chase watched as Cameron entered the patient's room with hungry eyes. He lusted after her much like the way a pregnant woman lusts after pickles on her ice cream. He winced inwardly. _Bad metaphor._ Maybe more like a vampire after blood. _Another bad one._ He gave up on trying to find a proper metaphor and instead focused on how she walked, how she looked, and how she smelled as she brushed passed him without so much as a 'good morning, Chase'. She read the patient's chart and frowned slightly to herself. "I'm going to the lab." He ventured out, hoping she'd acknowledge him, but she only nodded as he left.

Once Chase was gone, Cameron studied the sleeping woman and smiled slightly to herself. _How could House miss this?_

Just as she was leaving, the patient's monitors started beeping. Cameron reached out and pushed the "code button" and charged up the defibulators as the nurses streamed in. "100!" She called out. "Clear!" The patient jumped and the immunologist stared at the flat line on the screen. "150!." _Pause._ "Clear!" The patient jumped again and this time a steady beeping came from the monitor. Cameron took a deep breath and rubbed her forehead. It was only 8:10. This was going to be a long day.

xXx

By that afternoon, the whole team was confused about what was wrong with the patient. Well, the boys were. Cameron was sure what the patient had and had finally stopped trying at the differentials because none of the boys believed her. Cameron found herself spending all her time between the conference room and the patient's room and the lab. At around 4:30, House paged them all back to the room.

For about 5 minutes, they all sat there watching House who was currently staring at the white board. Finally, Foreman couldn't take in any longer. "House, why the hell are we just sitting here?"

House turned and gave him an almost evil smile. "Because, my young padawan, you are here to learn a very important lesson." He ignored the eyerolling of the three ducklings and continued. "Start her on…haloperidol, paroxetine, and carbamazepine." He ordered, tapping his cane on the ground.

Foreman frowned deeply. "You want us to treat for…"

"…Huntington's Disease." House squinted one eye and nodded sharply. "I know. If we start now, she'll have maybe another four or five years left to live."

"We already…"

House interrupted Foreman with a wave of his hand. "We already foolishly ruled out Huntington's because of her age and the fact that the symptoms she came with didn't fit. The symptoms _now_ fit. Everything now fits."

"You can't just say everything fits when it doesn't!" Foreman insisted ardently. "Huntington's disease doesn't explain the coma, the low blood pressure, the anemia, the low white blood count, or the fever, which is what she originally _had_ when she came in. For all we know, we _gave_ her the other symptoms. We can't just condemn her to a life of no hope without being sure!"

"No! It fits!" House insisted fervently. "Look." He turned back to the board and crossed out the original symptoms and circled the ones developed in the hospital, reading each one as he circled them. "Chorea, paranoia, clumsiness, loss of balance, speech impairment, unresponsive eye movement, aggression, sudden OCD, intellectual deterioration, and the seizures. They can all be explained by Huntington's Disease." He looked over all of them with a slightly hopeful face. He was greeted by three different faces. Chase looked confused, Foreman looked annoyed, and Cameron was smirking. His eyes narrowed when he caught Cameron's look. "What?"

"Oh nothing." She said innocently, though the mischievous look on her face gave her away. "I'll just save the 'I told you so' until the 'let's review the case' party later."

"Oh my god." Chase moaned pitifully, dropping his head into his hands before looking up briefly at the other three. "Cameron knew from the start."

House glowered at her for a moment. "Why didn't you tell any of us?"

She shrugged nonchalantly though her face gave away her slight annoyance. "I _did_. You all pushed it aside because she's too young and the symptoms didn't fit 'just right' in the beginning. I mentioned it this morning, even. But you just told me that I was wrong." She leaned against the book case and crossed her arms. "House, you've always told me that a good doctor sticks with the diagnosis until they know without a shadow of a doubt that it's wrong. So that's what I did."

"Excuse me, are we forgetting something?" Foreman very nearly shouted, startling Chase and Cameron and earning a slight raise of the eyebrow from House. When he had the attention of the other three he continued. "There are five other symptoms that unaccounted for."

Cameron smirked again. "She had a miscarriage shortly before being hospitalized."

Foreman looked confused. "She wouldn't talk…" Foreman was once again interrupted, this time by Cameron instead of House.

"If you had observed her for a moment instead of trying to get her to open up, you would've had noticed that she still has the baby fat around her face and on her belly." Cameron said smugly. "All the symptoms she came in with are explained by a recent miscarriage. When she lost her baby, it became a catalyst for the Huntington's disease, lying in the shadows waiting…"

"I do the metaphors." House finally snapped, cutting her off. He fixed an annoyed look on her face and scowled. "You don't have to rub it in." She seemed to shrink back a little, the smug look gone, but nodded at him briskly. He suddenly gave her a half smirk that spoke more of malice than friendliness. "And since when do you jump to diagnose on speculation? That's my job."

Cameron gave him the same smirk back. "Since when do you care?"

"Since when do you not?" He snapped with a glare and turned back to the board. "Chase, Foreman. Go start her on the meds. Cameron, go do my clinic hours for me."

"No." Came the soft answer.

Chase and Foreman halted halfway through the door. Did Cameron really just tell House no?

House must have had the same thought because he whirled around as best he could and fixed a cold stare on her. "I'm your boss."

"And they are your hours. I've done mine for the week and then some." She said firmly, staying steady under his untiring glare.

"Chase, Foreman, leave! And when you've done the tests, do my clinic hours!" He yelled at the pair who were very quick to comply, not wanting the wrath of their boss turned to them. House stalked towards her, his eyes never wavering from hers. "They're gone and you don't have to do my hours, happy?"

"Yes." She said simply, her arms still crossed across her chest.

"Allison, stop clenching." He came to a halt directly in front of her with only a couple of inches separating them. She obeyed, moving her hands to her hips in a non-confrontational way instead. He watched her for a bit more before relaxing and moving his free hand to her waist, pulling her flush against him. Her own hands moved to his chest and she looked up at him with a smile. He felt a smile forming in return and kissed her quickly to prevent himself from bursting into a huge grin. He felt her smile a bit broader as she kissed him back with just as much fervor. Neither of them heard the door to his office open nor did they see their boss halted at the entrance, watching them for a moment before turning and leaving just as quickly as she came in. House pulled away and smirked at her dazed expression. "Now will you do my hours?"

She smiled seductively and pulled his head down so she could whisper into his ear. "Nope." She smirked and spun around, leaving behind a slightly annoyed and extremely aroused House.

xXx

AN: So, I am loath to admit this, but I totally wasn't expecting this chapter to be so long. Oh well! Love you all! And I apologize ahead of time for the time span between this and the next chapter. I'm off of school, but I'm working this summer, so my writing will be sporadic. Thanks again to all the loyal readers!


	15. The Hammer Holds

Story Title: Touch of Destiny

Chapter 15: The Hammer Holds

Chapter summery: House finally faces the reality of "The Folders" for his fellows.

xXx

Disclaimer: Not mine, unless you don't recognize a character. Then it is mine, and you shouldn't take it.

AN: I guess I forgot to mention that this story is totally not cannon. It was a random idea that I had that doesn't replace House getting shot, and it's totally not following ANY of the episodes…so I'm sorry about that…I'm using some of the end of this season with Chase's whole "It's Tuesday and I still like you" crap. So…if this offends anyone, I'll change it.

And about the finale…..AAAAAH!!! ARE THEY TRYING TO KILL ME?!?!?!?!?!

Also, quick question: should I change the rating because of my sporadic cussing? I'm thinking probably…but I have no idea!

Oh, and do you guys like the fact that I reply to your reviews in the beginning of the story? I'm truly sorry that I can't reply to them right away.

And I'm sorry about the month and a half or so since I last updated…

xXx

This-Family-Affair: Yeah, I guess long chapters are great. And I've agreed with that statement before. And I hope I can update soon!

kdip4014: Hmmm, the Cameron family reunion…sounds like a good idea. :-P You rock! I know that may not be what you were trying to do, but you just gave me the greatest idea for later on in the story!

CamFan4Ever: Yay! People love me! I'm glad it was worth the wait.

Obsessedwithstabler: woot! House is indeed amazing. Lol. Oh, and I'm reading them….believe me, I'm reading them.

LittleDragonfly23: Thanks! Next chapter is….now! lol

Faith5x5: Thanks! Ahh, poor Wilson. He'll get a break sooner or later. Chase probably never will. Lol

SilvaK: Yay! See, I like 'Strong Cameron' simply because I found her spineless in the first season and I see her growing every episode. So yeah, glad you liked it!

HouseCam63: Thanks!

xxBuffyfreakxx: It was nice to finally update! I'm glad you liked the chapter and that it was worth the wait!

Sweetgreuy: Thanks! I'm glad you love it! I think this fic is going to go for a while, too. We'll have to see.

Tiflissa: I love writing House/Cam banter. House/Wilson banter is fun too. And Cameron decking the guy was great. I love late night creativity.

whoKMH: I'm glad you loved it! I'm really working on making each chapter well written. I hate to write half-way stuff.

Blklightning: I'm glad you love the story! And that sentence is probably getting quite repetitive…I will definitely keep the story up until people start hating me. Lol

Allie House: Eh, Homework is a waste of time. JK! I'm glad you loved it!

xXx

_Again, nothing is working._

Our mystery man was pacing the hospital grounds were his Allison worked, eyeing the window where he knew the diagnostics room was.

_I am going to remind her of my love._

The man decided smugly as the pondered what to do about Allison.

_Flowers, cards, candy, the works._

Allison Cameron was going to remember her love for him or she would live to regret it. And that was more than a threat. It was a promise, no, a _vow_ to himself, one that he would keep or die trying. She would return to him, or something would happen to the one she remained with.

_If you want to get something done, you have to do it yourself. And if the bribery doesn't work…I know what will._

xXx

The next morning, much to his relief, House managed to sneak into his office early without Cuddy seeing him. He had already gotten crap from her the evening before from the "hanky-panky" she had walked in on. Hell, he hadn't even heard her enter his office. How the hell was he supposed to know she was coming to see him about those envelopes? He had barely escaped from a solid week of clinic duty by swearing by all he held dear that he and Dr. Cameron would hold off on the "mush" at the hospital. Wilson had teased him about it and House had just glowered and muttered something about it not being fair to be forced to swear on all the scotch, vicodin, and General Hospital episodes in the world.

That being said, he decided that this morning he just wanted to be alone for a while to think and being at his apartment didn't leave much room for thinking. Collapsing into his chair and propping his legs on his desk, House's thoughts turned to his fellows. He knew that he couldn't avoid it any longer. Those manila envelopes sitting on his desk were continually taunting him that his ducklings fellowship was coming to a close should they chose to move on. He knew what Chase's and Foreman's said because he had read them. However, Cameron's was still a mystery to him simply because hers was sealed with a sticker over the seal. It was basically 'House-proof' and that annoyed him.

What probably annoyed him the most was that he realized that he didn't want their fellowship to come to an end. As much as he hated to admit it, he greatly respected all three of the fellows and hated to think of them moving on to brighter and greener pastures, so to speak. Or, at least the two males moving on. Cameron's on the other hand…he had no clue. He held the folders in his hands and stared at them, so lost in thought that he didn't see Wilson standing at the door watching him.

"Ahem."

House jumped slightly. "What do you want?" He snapped without looking up, annoyed at being disturbed.

"Can't I come by and see you without wanting something?"

"Probably, but it's unlikely."

"You got a point…if you were talking about yourself."

"That was harsh."

"Like you care."

"I have feelings too!"

"Really…? You mean you actually let them out of their cage?"

"Funny, Jimmy, real funny."

"I try."

The room was silent for a bit until House broke it. "So what is it you needed, Jimmy boy?"

"I'll have you know that I was able to get back into my apartment."

"Great. Now I don't have to worry about tripping over you when I come into my office in the early mornings."

"Like you ever come in early. You know, it's your fault I couldn't sleep last night."

"Sorry, Dad. I'll let you know before I go out on a date with Allison."

Wilson rolled his eyes and the room went silent again before House, hating any type of silence, broke it again.

"You know, usually when I can't sleep at night, I count the number of buttons on my straight jacket. You should try it next time." House said with a completely straight face, eyeing Wilson's to catch his reaction.

Wilson laughed and shook his head. "You would. Unfortunately, I left mine at Julie's. And I plan on there never even _being_ a next time!" The chuckles died and he smirked. "I notice that you have resisted temptation thus far." Wilson motioned to the folder in House's hand and sighed a bit. "You know, the sooner you give it to her, the sooner you'll find out what it says."

"And the sooner you leave, the sooner I can resume thinking."

"Sulking, you mean."

"It's what I do best, dahling." House put on a heavy 'snobby' accent and ran a hand over his hair, his nose in the air.

Wilson let out a loud breath through his nose that resembled a laugh and smiled. "Ah, yes. How could I forget? The title attached to your name is really a smoke screen for your _real_ specialty."

"You got that right." House nodded and tilted his head to the left slightly. "Dr. Gregory House, MD. Certified diagnostician with a double specialty in Grade-A assholeology and sulkology. Now begone, Wonder Boy. Go save little bald children and let the master finish his sulking."

"Yes, O Great One." Wilson said sarcastically before shaking his head and leaving House's office, chuckling the whole way back to his office.

House continued his musing and sulking long after Wilson left, his expression pensive and foreboding. He was so lost in thought that he failed to see his immunologist enter the conference room, prepare the coffee, and settle herself at the table with a cup of coffee and the newspaper. He also missed seeing his intensivist arrive a couple of minutes later.

Chase peered cautiously around the door, checking to make sure the coast was clear of any 'hanky-panky' going on. He had made the mistake yesterday afternoon of returning to the conference room to grab his pen which he had left sitting on the table. He had very nearly walked in on House and Cameron making out again and quickly turned tail and practically ran, praising God that he hadn't opened the door. He passed Cuddy without a glance or a warning to what she was about to walk in on, praying that she'd put an end to it all.

With a quick glance inside the office, his eyes widened slightly. Cameron was sitting calmly at conference table with a mug of coffee and a magazine, reading what he presumed was a medically related article. House was nowhere to be seen. With a smirk of self-satisfaction that he quickly hid, he sauntered into the conference room and plunked himself down on the seat directly across from the immunologist.

"Good morning Allison."

"Good morning, Dr. Chase."

"It's Tuesday…"

"No shit." She looked up briefly, a faux look of shock on her face, the sarcasm nearly gushing from her in a torrent. "And here I thought you'd forgotten. I was missing your weekly announcements. Are you planning on making it a daily thing?"

"I still…"

"I don't care, Chase." She said calmly, turning her attention back to the paper.

"It's House, isn't it?" He demanded, suddenly angry.

"Did I ever say it was House? Did I even say it was a person?" Her voice was still soft and calm, revealing nothing of the anger she felt inside. "Can't I just…oh, I don't know…not care that you still have some _insane_ desire to pursue a relationship with me?"

"You didn't have to say a name." Chase said bitterly, his hands shoved deep into his pockets. "And yes, you have to have a reason. It's you! You care immensely about everything."

Cameron looked up again, this time taking off her reading glasses and staring at him incredulously. "What is this really about, Chase?"

"Nothing." He faked a cheery voice to cover the depression that was settling over him. "It's just Tuesday and I wanted to remind you…"

"That you like me. Thank-you, the memo was received and filed away in the drawer of useless information that I'll never need again." Cameron's attention went back to the paper and Chase sighed in defeat.

House was alerted to the presence of the ducklings in the conference room when Foreman made an excited entrance and was greeted with a 'go to hell' by an unhappy Chase and a 'congratulations' by a thrilled Cameron. With a pained groan, he pulled himself up and walked into the conference room.

"What drugs are you on today, Foreman?" House asked in lue of a greeting.

Not even House's nasty moods could ruin Foreman's excitement. "I have been published again. And this time," he shot a wry look at Cameron who grinned back, "I didn't steal the article from a good friend."

Chase just glowered in his seat while Cameron beamed with pride. House just nodded. "Good for you. We don't have a patient. Find something to do."

"Oh, I'll find something to do." Foreman shook the article at his boss and grinned. "I'm going to go find Wilson. And then Becky down in Pediatrics. Then…"

"Okay, Forehead, we get it." House interrupted, annoyed. "Go find the masses and endure their praise and adoration. Meanwhile…"

He was interrupted by Chase who was staring at what House held in his hand. "What are those?"

House cursed inwardly. In his haste to mock Foreman, he had forgotten to dispose of the manila folders Cuddy had given him two days prior back onto his desk. Foreman paused at the door, waiting for House to explain. House decided to pull the dumb act. "What are what?" When Chase glared at him, House rolled his eyes. "Cuddy gave me these. Apparently, they are your fellowship re-applications. You have the choice to either continue working for me or moving on to brighter pastures." He faked a cheerful voice and tossed the folders onto the table. "Free for all. Ready, set, GO!"

When no one moved, he grumbled deep in his throat and spread them out. "Foreman!" Foreman's was tossed his direction and he caught it easily. "Chase!" Same action was performed only Chase dropped his. "Nice one, butterball." House sneered. "Cameron!" He handed her the folder and nodded to each of them. "Enjoy filling out your forms! Vote Gregory House for Most Valuable Doctor in the upcoming elections!"

The moment his back was turned and he was headed back into his office, his face clouded with unhappiness. He knew the unlikelihood of any of them wanting to remain under his rule was great. All three of them were excellent doctors and each could one day head their own department. His interest was piqued when Cameron started to speak.

"Foreman, I heard you went to ID the bastard the day before yesterday."

"Yeah." He paused, and then continued, his voice full of regret. "It wasn't the same guy. He wasn't even close. I'm sorry, Allison."

She smiled briefly. "It's not your fault, Eric. Don't worry about it. They'll catch him." Her voice had dropped in pitch and it was almost as if she were talking to herself.

Chase spoke up. "Besides, it's highly unlikely that he'll return."

House rolled his eyes and turned back around, throwing Chase a glare. "Thank you, Mr. Sensitivity. Now why don't you go bother someone else?" Chase stared at House with a stupefied, confused expression on his face. House met his underling's stupefied, confused expression with a mocking one of his own. "Don't play stupid with me Chase...I'm better at it. Now, to the clinic you go!"

With an eye roll, Chase quickly vacated the premises with Foreman close behind, leaving Cameron and House alone in the conference room. House was just about to say something to her when a man poked his head into the room. "Excuse me; is there an Allison Cameron here?"

"That would be me." She rose her hand hesitantly.

The man grinned. "I have a delivery for you." He walked in a placed on the table the largest vase of flowers she had ever seen in her life. "Enjoy them. You're one lucky lady." He winked at her and left as abruptly as he had showed up.

Cameron had a stunned expression on her face and House was amused. "You look confused, Dr. Cameron."

"I guess I am."

When she didn't elaborate, he pressed. "And…?"

"And nothing. I was sitting here, alone, enjoying a moment of solitude, coffee, and the newspaper when Chase plopped down, announced that it was Tuesday and he still liked me. Foreman burst in about his article being published, you burst out of your office with these folders, I found out that the guy the police found wasn't the shooter, and you sent Chase to the clinic. And to top it all off, some random guy comes in a gives me FLOWERS. All that in less then ten minutes." She dropped her face into her open palms and groaned. "And now I have a massive headache." She was startled to feel a heavy hand on top of her head. "Greg?"

"What?" He asked innocently.

What are you doing?" She sounded almost worried.

"Running." He said sarcastically. "What are you doing?"

"Resting." She turned her head slightly to look up at him. His eyebrows went up and she smiled. "You know…if you're going to rest your hand on my head, you might as well…"

"Oh no." House immediately removed his hand as if something had bitten him. "I don't do head massages."

"Fine." Her tone had the air of snobbishness with a hint of teasing. "I'll just have a headache all day and I'll whine and complain and…"

"I'll just send you to the clinic."

"I don't have clinic today."

"I'll make you do mine."

"Nope, Chase is doing them."

"I'll send you home."

"Mmmm, sorry, I would _love_ to see you pull that one."

"I can make you."

"Again, I would love to see you try."

"I have my ways."

"Don't doubt it."

The room went quiet before House moved his hands again, this time to her temples. "You tell anyone…" His voice trailed off.

Cameron smirked, catching his threat. "I'd rather not be tormented in more ways than I can imagine." She groaned softly as he slowly massaged her scalp.

"Smart girl."

The room was quiet again, with only Cameron's occasional grunts of appreciation to break the silence.

"Better?" House was starting to feel uncomfortable with the silence and the all around 'niceness' in the room and removed his hands from her scalp.

"Much. Thank you." She said gratefully, picking her head up off of the table.

"You're welcome." He said gruffly. "Now go and heal the sick. I'm sure you'll find something to do."

"Immunology department could always use help." Cameron mused out loud. "If you need me, I'll be there. And unless those flowers are from you, _please_ throw them away. It's more than just a little bit creepy that some guy is sending me huge bouquets of flowers." She didn't wait for his 'stamp of approval' and the fading click of her heals echoed in House's mind for the next hour after he threw the flowers away. It wasn't him. He didn't do 'romantic' things. Though he was seriously beginning to reconsider his opinion on that….

xXx

When Foreman left the conference room, he headed directly to Cuddy's office to seek her advice about his fellowship, his published article forgotten for the moment. He watched her work for a moment before pushing the door open. "You have a minute?"

"Sure, what can I help you with?" Cuddy seemed genuinely concerned with what Foreman had to say and that made him feel a bit better. Foreman just stood there for a moment, fiddling with the manila folder in his hand. Cuddy eyed it and smiled knowingly. "So, House finally gave you the folders."

"Yes." Foreman said shortly, and then sighed. "Sorry."

"It's quite alright." She smirked. "House has that affect on people. Let me take a guess: you want to know if you should reapply for another fellowship or if you should move on to another hospital or job."

"Yes." Foreman seemed surprised. "How did you know?"

Cuddy just gave him a knowing glance. "I can read facial expressions, too, you know."

Foreman let out an embarrassed chuckle. "Right, of course."

The Dean of Medicine studied his face before nodding, a secret smile on her face. "Foreman, my opinion is that you should contract for another year. By then, I believe that there will be an opening for you in the neurology department as Head, if you so desire."

Foreman just stared at her in amazement. "Me?"

Cuddy laughed. "Yes, Foreman, you. You studied under House and have matured into an excellent doctor. I can think of no one else that I'd rather replace the current head. He's retiring after this year and actually specifically requested you as his replacement."

The young, black doctor left Cuddy's office with another year under House with a promise of becoming a department Head.

xXx

Chase sulked down to the Clinic and grumbled his reply to the nurse's "Hello, Dr. Chase."

She smiled at him sympathetically and handed him a folder. "Dr. House making you do his clinic hours again?"

"Of course." Chase muttered sullenly. "Why else would I be down here?"

The nurse said nothing. She just smiled softly at his retreating back. _The poor man._ She thought sympathetically.

Chase had no idea what the nurse was thinking. All he was aware of was his intense anger towards both House and Allison. He walked into exam room 2 and walked straight back out. "There is no way in HELL that I am dealing with Dotty Myers AGAIN!" He very nearly screamed as he flung the file down on the counter.

"I'm sorry, Dr. Chase, but we have to go in order. And you are the only doctor available to take her.

"I swear, one of these days…" Chase snarled as he stalked down the hall towards Dotty. There was going to be hell to pay for the woman who continued to plague his life.

xXx

A month. That's how long their relationship had lasted so far, and quite frankly, House was beside himself with anxiety. He found himself walking on eggshells praying to a God he didn't believe in that the walls of the fragile relationship he and Cameron were forming wouldn't fall all around them. To anyone watching them, their relationship was suddenly more of a comradely type. With the exception of that morning, there was no unnecessary touching, talking, or looking when anyone could be present. They had been caught making out in his office more than either of them were comfortable with and had agreed that it was better for them to hold the "romance" to a minimum with Cuddy around. He had yet to find out what Cameron's folder from Cuddy said. She had taken it and shoved into her computer bag, saying she'd look at when she was at home.

House downed what was left in his glass of scotch and grunted as the burning sensation traveled all the way down to his stomach. His treacherous mind was mulling over the thousands of possibilities of what Allison Cameron was currently up to, the most recent one involving another woman and Wilson. Damn, he needed to get out more if his mind went to a threesome that didn't involve himself.

He decided that he couldn't take it any more and snatched his phone from the coffee table. Punching in the familiar number, he waited for a moment until she answered.

"Hello?"

"Come over."

"Greg?"

"Who else would be demanding your attention? You're not seeing other people, are you?"

"No." She sounded stunned. "But it's…_pause_…10:30 at night."

"Fine. I'll see you tomorrow then."

"House!" She sighed loudly before he hung up.

"What!"

"That was not a refusal. I was just surprised."

"I'll see you in 20 minutes then." He abruptly hung up the phone, not waiting to hear her reply.

He reached for the bottle of scotch but paused. No use getting drunk if she was coming over.

xXx

"Greg, what is this?" Cameron held out the unopened box with a skeptical expression on her face.

He looked up from the French medical journal he was translating as he read with a confused expression. "What is what?"

"This." She shook the box slightly. "What is it?"

House set the journal down and with a bemused expression replied, "It's a box with your name on it."

"Exactly. My name, in your handwriting." Cameron took on an accusatory tone. "Why?"

"It's…a…gift." House said slowly and emphatically. "For you. From me."

"Okay?" Cameron sat down on the couch. "So…"

"Oh, just open it." House grated out with a roll of his eyes. "Nothing is going to jump out at you."

She stuck her tongue out at him and proceeded to carefully open the paper. House sighed impatiently but shut up when she shot him a glare. She pulled back the newspaper the gift was wrapped in ("It was all I had!" House protested weakly) to reveal something that first made her stare in shock before she burst out laughing. She pulled out the two black t-shirts with white writing and set the box aside. The first was a smaller shirt, presumably for her, which proudly stated "I'm with Dr. Genius" and had an arrow pointing to the right. The larger shirt, obviously for House, proudly stated "I'm with Dr. Lobby Art" and had an arrow pointing to the left. "Still with the lobby art, huh Greg?" She teased him.

"Well, it is why I hired you, remember?" House joked back, picking up his journal once more. "Look at the backs."

She held up his shirt and checked the back. Her light laughter made House smile briefly. In small letters on the back of the shirt, it said "Property of PPHT and the Emotional Duckling."

"Check yours." He prodded, refusing to look up at her.

She gave him a look and looked at the back of hers. Another laugh escaped. "Property of PPHT and the Grumpy Gimp."

House made a noise that sounded like a laugh but he disguised it with a cough.

Cameron just grinned and wadded up his shirt, chucking it in his direction.

It landed on his lap and he made a face at her before folding the shirt and placing it next to him on the armrest of the chair. "I was going to ask if you wanted to wear them to the motocross show in a few weeks, but now…"

"I'll wear it, Greg." Cameron interrupted with a grin. "It's just that everyone will know for sure that we are together, and I would think that…"

"Good." House interrupted her this time. "Because we are together and it's time for people to realize that."

Cameron smiled sadly. "Are you sure you want to make it public?"

House's gaze met hers swiftly, his eyes probing and calculating. "You doubt me? Or just my intentions?"

She sighed and looked away. "I'm not sure." She brought her gaze back to him. "You ignore me and mock me at work, and even when we're away from the hospital you still ignore me and mock me, though not as crossly."

House just stared at her. "I will be the same insensitive jerk I have always been, you know that. I'm not going to treat you differently. It's not in my nature." Cameron bit her lip and House winced. "Allie, I'm sorry. If you want some sensitive sap, then you should be dating a maple tree." He added a bit of sarcasm to see if she'd react, both completely oblivious to the fact that he called her by a nickname.

Cameron let out a laugh. "Greg, believe me, if I wanted someone else, I'd have taken the chance with Sebastian. But instead, I stayed for you. I returned to work after Vogler because of you. I defended you against Tritter because of what I felt for you, even if you didn't even like me. I've stayed and endured your snark and harshness and jerkness because I found that I can't leave you. All I want is a tiny bit of compassion. But if you can't do that, I'm fine with what you _can_ give me."

House's expression was guarded as he stared at her. When he finally spoke, his voice was gravely and deep. "Good. Besides, I want to see how Chase and Foreman take it when they find out that we really _have_ been dating for a month now and have no plans to discontinue our arrangement." His eyes brightened and he smiled at her briefly.

She grinned back and leaned back against the back of the chair. "So if they ask, should I tell them or deny it?"

"I'd say I confirm it and you deny it and we'll confuse them horribly." House said with a rare broad grin.

Cameron nodded with a smile. "Sounds good to me. Confusing them is definitely something you would do. Though, you do realize that they know we've been dating."

"Yup." House turned his attention back to the French journal and Cameron was content to watch him for a while.

She soon grew restless with the silence and stood up, making her way over to his piano. Was she really ready to play again? His eyes drifted to her as she walked and followed her movements as she situated herself on the bench and stared at the keys. He tilted his head back and continued to watch her as she debated whether or not play. She jumped slightly when he spoke. "You can do it, I know you can."

He sounded serious so she nodded. "I know." She sat still for a moment, her fingers moving silently as if trying to find the correct song before she pressed down the keys in a delicate motion.

House was pleasantly surprised as she played the Moonlight Sonata by Beethoven. His eyes drifted closed as he grew absorbed into the song, wincing once when she hit a sour note. She gradually grew more confident and soon was playing flawlessly. She moved from the Moonlit Sonata to Sonata in A major by Mozart to Für Elise. The music stopped before starting a soft melody that he thought sounded vaguely familiar.

He was startled to hear her start singing. It was soft, almost so soft he didn't hear it.

_I'm so tired of being here  
Suppressed by all my childish fears  
And if you have to leave  
I wish that you would just leave  
'Cause your presence still lingers here  
And it won't leave me alone  
_

Her voice grew stronger as she grew confidence.

_  
These wounds won't seem to heal  
This pain is just too real  
There's just too much that time cannot erase  
_

House stood up and moved over to her, sitting on the edge of the bench. She glanced over at him but kept playing.

_  
When you cried I'd wipe away all of your tears  
When you'd scream I'd fight away all of your fears  
And I held your hand through all of these years   
But you still have  
All of me  
_

His cane bounced as he thought about the words she was singing. Even if she didn't realize it, she was describing what he had been struggling with Stacy ever since she had left his life for the first and then the second time.

_  
You used to captivate me  
By your resonating life  
Now I'm bound by the life you've left behind  
Your face it haunts  
My once pleasant dreams  
Your voice it chased away  
All the sanity in me  
_

He wondered if Cameron also struggled with dealing with her husband's death the same way he had been dealing with Stacy. The soft spot he had for Cameron grew just a bit softer as he absorbed her voice into his mind.

_These wounds won't seem to heal  
This pain is just too real  
There's just too much that time cannot erase_

The emotions she was singing with were real. House could tell. He knew of many of the struggles she had faced on the road to where she was now. But there were many he had no clue about, he knew that much.

_When you cried I'd wipe away all of your tears  
When you'd scream I'd fight away all of your fears  
And I held your hand through all of these years   
But you still have  
All of me_

He moved his hand to the other side of her to keep his balance on the edge of the bench and stared at her fingers as they moved along the keyboard. He knew he needed to give 'them' a chance.

_  
I've tried so hard to tell myself that you're gone  
But though you're still with me  
I've been alone all along_

_When you cried I'd wipe away all of your tears  
When you'd scream I'd fight away all of your fears  
And I held your hand through all of these years   
But you still have  
All of me_

As she hit the last note, House reached over and brushed the back of his fingers down her cheek, wiping away the tears that were starting, before nudging her. "My turn." She knew that this was his way of saying 'good job' and she moved off the bench. He frowned at her and patted the seat next to him. She obliged and sat, her hands resting in her lap, silent tears streaming down her cheeks. She looked up when he didn't start playing. She found that his eyes were caressing her face. When her eyes met his, the corners of his mouth turned up in gruff smile.

"You want me to be more compassionate." He stated simply. She knew that it wasn't a question and remained quiet. He continued. "I can't promise anything will change, Allison. But what I can promise is that no matter how I treat you, I don't mean to hurt you. That you can trust. Until the day that you pull a 'Stacy' that is." His eyes took on a slightly bitter look before softening once more. He leaned down and gave her a soft kiss before turning back to the piano. She leaned her head on his shoulder and relaxed into the sounds of the music. "You did good, Allison." He whispered softly. She smiled briefly and closed her eyes. The last thing she remembered was the soft tune of a song she had never heard before.

When Cameron came to, so to speak, she realized that first, she wasn't home, and second, it was very dark. She pushed the blanket off of her and tried to get her bearings. A soft rumble beside her brought a smile to her face as she realized she was still at House's apartment and he was still sleeping beside her. Cameron sat there in the bed, just staring at his face as she tried to figure out how on earth she had gotten to his bed. She certainly didn't remember walking, and she was almost positive House wouldn't have carried her.

"Why are you awake?" House's gravely, sleep filled voice reached her ears. "Generally, people are asleep at 2 in the morning."

"I could ask you the same thing." Cameron reminded him.

"Yes, but you woke me up."

"Oh, I'm sorry." She quickly apologized, horrified that she woke him up.

"Just go back to sleep." He grumbled, reaching out and pulling her back to his side. She smiled and gently laid her head on his shoulder. "That's better. Now sleep."

The pair fell back asleep to the sound of the other's breathing.

xXx

Revue, mes canetons.


	16. Problems and Dealings

Story Title: Touch of Destiny

Chapter 16: Problems and Dealings

Chapter summery: Someone shows up from Cameron's past. Will he threaten the fragile relationship Cameron and House have established?

xXx

Disclaimer: Not mine, unless you don't recognize a character. Then it is mine, and you shouldn't take it, dong ma?

AN: I'm not going to apologize any more for the infrequent updates. By now, it should be expected…sadly enough. School and work take over lives, I swear. Also, I'm teaching this year so writing will probably be less frequent, but I hope that it won't be.

Also, I'm not fluent in Italian. But I want to learn! So if someone is reading this that_ is_ fluent in Italian, feel free to correct any that I use.

Also…I'm debating changing my name. I'm unsure as of yet if that is the right direction to take my writing to, but for some reason, having Psycho Strider as a name while writing House stories, and quite possibly soon Firefly/Serenity stories, with a Lord of the Rings centric name just seems downright disrespectful. Huh. Oh well. Onto the review replies!

xXx

SilvaK: I truly am sorry for the lack of updates. But I'm working full time, and I start teaching this year, and blarg. That is all I can say. Blarg. I'm glad you liked it!

This-Family-Affair: Thanks. That makes me feel SO much better! I'm glad you loved it! That's my goal. To have a well-loved chapter.

Houseandcameronthebest: (huge grin) I'm so glad you love it that much!

LittleDragonfly23: Lol! I loved how you capitalized the "O's". :P

whoKMH: First point you made: I hate those "booty calls" too. It's annoying. Second and third points you made: I love cute stuff. And I love to make House "suffer" by the hands and wiles of Cameron. And the fourth point you made: Yeah…I thought that it was out of place. But I just found it funny. Oh well. Such is life.

Astronomylover: Thanks! There can never be too much affirmation, especially for me. :P I'm glad you loved it and I'll try and update as soon as possible.

Allie House: LOL! I know. It's like Chase is desperate or something. Lol.

Morganka: AAAAH!!!! Oh my word. I totally didn't realize that I typed the wrong name. I had a different song originally. Crud. Oh well. Thanks for letting me know!

SapereAude: Thanks!

xxBuffyfreakxx: I'm glad you liked it!

saz89: Yay! I'm missed! I'll update…now!

Limaccia: You have gathered correctly. And I know that it's PPTH. I'm slightly dyslexic and switch letters around all the time. Boo on dyslexia!

Jremme: You made my day with your review. I'm glad you love the story and that you're patient. I love that!

breakaway01: I love this story. And I love your reviews! They totally make my day!

Aly the Spy: Approvazione, aggiornerò. Era questo abbastanza presto?

0melting.snow0: Not everything can be completely perfect. :P Oh well. I like a less-evil House, though I'm trying to keep his sarcastic nature because I love it. No worries, the sarcasm will return.

future cop: you'll just have to wait and see…

FishBowl4213: I'm glad you like the story!

Obsessedwithstabler: I was wondering when you were going to review. I thought you had dropped off the face of the planet. Jk! I'm glad the chapter was satisfactory to you. :D

xXx

Greg woke up the next morning to the sound of…nothing. No sound of breathing, no warm body next to him, no sound of a shower going or the smell of coffee brewing. He frowned slightly as he sat up, glancing around the room bleary-eyed. The room was still dark enough that it took him a moment to see that his bedroom door was slightly open. With a groan, he pulled himself up out of bed, popped a single vicodin, and trudged towards his living room cane-less. He glanced around his living room to see that it was completely empty. "Where the hell is she?" He growled out loud. He jumped when he suddenly saw her head popped around the corner from his kitchen.

"I'm right here." She said, amused, a glass of water in her hand. "You didn't honestly think that I'd leave?"

When House said nothing, she sighed a little. His expression said it all. Allison shook her head slightly. "Greg, when are you going to get it through your thick head that I'm not going to just leave you? You're suck with me, whether you like it or not." She glanced down at his leg and frowned slightly. "Where's your cane?"

"In my room." He said shortly, brushing past her to grab a glass for some water, his tone telling her to drop it. She turned as he passed by, a small smile on her face. He glanced at her and gave her a hooded, confused look. "What are you smiling at?"

"You." She said softly, the smile still on her face. She moved forward, keeping eye contact and placed her glass on the counter behind him.

"Me." He made it more of a statement than a question and the barest hint of a smile graced his eyes. "I'm sure you have better things to smile about. Such as puppies and flowers and rainbows." He paused, his head tilting slightly, his eyebrows raised a bit. "Gravedigger?"

"Do you really still find me so young?" Cameron inquired softly, coming to a halt only a few inches from him. "Except for the Gravedigger remark, all of the above relates to me at age 8, not 33."

He swallowed hard, the warmth of her body radiating to his senses. House just stared at her, the intensity of his eyes boring into hers, trying to mentally convince her that he was just that much older than her.

"I'm not as young as you think I am. And you aren't as old as you think you are." She reached up and framed his rough face with her gentle hands. "Why don't you believe me?" She whispered in a pained tone.

House was quiet for a moment before one hand reached up to brush her cheek tenderly. "I'm trying." And with that, he kissed her firmly.

A kiss can be a comma, a question mark, or an exclamation point. This one seemed to hit all at once and the intensity of it both baffled and startled House. He wasn't sure when his feelings for Allison changed from 'like' to 'love' but regardless of when it happened he knew that it wasn't about to go away. He pulled away and averted his eyes from her face, focusing instead on the clock on the stove. He could feel her eyes searching his face as if questioning why he looked away.

Cameron brushed her lips to his cheek before pulling away from his body, turning to dump out the water in her glass. She didn't see him touch his cheek and smile briefly at the touch. She didn't see the emotions fly across his face as he watched her before schooling his facial features into his normal half-scowl and walking back to his bedroom. A knock at the door brought her attention from the sink to the front of his apartment. A quick glance towards Greg's room told her that he wasn't about to leave to answer the door leaving her to roll her eyes good-naturedly and answer the door. She pulled the door open to reveal a dumb-struck Wilson.

xXx

House quickly disappeared into his room and collapsed onto his bed, leaving Cameron standing at the sink. He wasn't sure what was going on, but he could swear that the feelings she brought out in him were close to, if not indeed, love. He wasn't sure if he wanted to put himself through the pain of letting someone that close to him again. Just the thought of it made him tense up and the barriers thicken and tighten around the fragile remains of his heart.

He smirked briefly at the sound of a knock. _Let Cameron get it._ He thought, too lazy to get up from his bed. His mind drifted to her renewal packet. _What the hell did Cuddy put in there? Why won't she open it? What if she's being fired? No, Cuddy wouldn't do that. Unless…no. Even if she was pissed at me, she wouldn't attack Cameron, would she? Besides, why would Cuddy be pissed at me? I haven't done anything…recently._

House rubbed his forehead. Great. First his leg hurt like hell, now his head was pounding. _Nothing a vicodin won't fix._ His ears perked up when he heard Wilson's voice mingling with Cameron's. _Time to go greet my guest._ And with that thought, he popped two vicodin and crunched them as he made his way out of his room and into the main area of the apartment.

xXx

"What are you doing here?" Wilson's voice sounded far away to him as his mind worked around every possibility to explain her presence at House's apartment.

Cameron laughed. She couldn't help it. The look on Wilson's face was one of pure shock and disbelief and for some reason it amused her to no end. "I'm his new maid. He hired me to clean his apartment."

"To clean…his house ARE YOU _INSANE_?" Wilson blinked a few times as he tried to figure the idea out.

"Yes on the cleaning, no on the insanity. He decided that he doesn't get to harass me enough at work, so he hired me here to harass me some more. I think today he plans on poking me with his cane all day. Tomorrow is 'Make Cameron Dress in House's Clothes' day." Cameron fought to keep her straight face as Wilson's facial expressions twisted and turned as he pondered the idea.

"You're lying." He said finally.

"What was your first clue?" She asked dryly. "The maid part or the poking me part?"

"No, the poking and the cleaning I can see. It's the hiring you part. He'd just order you to clean." He put on a 'House' voice. "Cameron, if you're done sorting my mail, you can make more coffee! Oh, and after your done making the coffee, you can go clean my house. I'm too lazy to clean it myself, and I fired the maid Wilson hired because she just wasn't you."

Cameron laughed. "That sounds nothing like House."

"And yet somehow, it's everything like me." House smirked from his place at the edge of the hall. "Except Wilson, you know that I'd NEVER fire someone that wasn't under my employment."

Wilson snorted as Cameron covered her mouth with her hand, trying not to laugh. "Yes, well." He shook his head. "You'd fire Cuddy if you had the power."

"And give up the free showing of her fun bags every day?" House countered with a leer. "No way, man." He managed to look slightly chastised at the withering look Cameron threw at him and the glare Wilson shot at him. "Okay, okay. I'm done." He threw his hands up in the air. "People. Geez, can no one take a joke anymore?"

"No, the world has gone completely serious on you, Greg." Cameron placed a hand on his shoulder. "I'm sorry to be the one to relay such horrible news, but a new law was written stating that any sort of jocularity and sarcasm is banned. Any one using the above shall be exposed to a number of punishments, ranging from Jell-O pools to being tied up in a room with member of the opposite gender tormenting you."

House laughed. He couldn't help it. Wilson was just full of those astounded expressions today.

"Cameron, I can't believe that _that_ just passed your lips!" Wilson shook his head despairingly. "You've been around House too long."

She shrugged, removing her hand from House's shoulder. "Can't happen, sorry. No such thing as 'too much House', Wilson." She threw House a questioning look. "Can I borrow your shower?"

"Sure." He nodded. "Just leave the door open so I can watch."

"In your dreams, buster."

"Yeah, in those, too. Let's try for real life, shall we?"

"Maybe later." She threw him and Wilson a wry grin and sauntered off to the bathroom, grabbing a towel from the closet as she went.

Wilson watched House's eyes follow her form to the bathroom and didn't leave from the same spot until the shower started. "You are sooooo whipped."

"And you are soooo annoying." House rolled his eyes and retreated into the kitchen.

Wilson followed to the entryway. "You're scared, aren't you?"

"Who, me?" House shook his head. "I'm not scared of anything. I thrive on making people fear _me_, remember?"

"Fear is a natural reaction, House." The oncologist leaned against the doorframe and smirked.

House feigned confusion. "To what? You?" He paused, his head tilted in a thinking manner. "Yes, I can see how little children would fear you…"

"No you, you thick-headed baboon. To a relationship." Wilson rolled his eyes.

"Relationship? What? Where?" House looked around frantically, trying to locate the offending idea.

"In the shower, currently."

"Aahh, yes. _That_ relationship!" House pointed towards the ceiling and scrunched his face into a thinking expression. "I wonder if I can make you go away if I think real, _real_ hard."

"Nope." Wilson said simply. "I'm here to make sure you don't bolt." He paused, fixing House with his 'I'm trying to help you' look before continuing. "Like I said, it's okay to fear a relationship."

"Yeah and you know what fear means. F--k everything and run!" House joked back, avoiding the conversation he knew Wilson wanted to have.

Wilson burst out laughing and House chuckled with him, happy that his comment had the desired reaction. "Seriously, House."

"Seriously. F--k everything and run." House grinned then sighed, sobering quickly. "I know. It's irrational. I need to suck it up." He stared at his friend. "I'm going to screw this up, aren't I?" It was said more as a statement. 

Wilson shook his head. "House, with as much as you care about her, I think that screwing up is out of the picture. Yes, you'll piss her off. Yes, she'll annoy you with her over-protective caring nature. Yes, you'll probably both end up hurting each other at some point in time. But if you want it to, it will work it out. If she matters enough to you, you'll fight tooth and nail to keep her. I know you. And I know her." He placed a hand on House's shoulder and gave him a reassuring smile. "Tell her how you feel."

House just watched as Wilson picked up his coat and headed out the door. He had no intention of telling her how he felt just yet. How could he relay his feelings to another when he wasn't even sure of the intensity, depth, or validity of them himself?

xXx

Freshly showered, Cameron walked out of the bathroom to find no sign of House or Wilson. A quick peek out the window showed that his bike was still there, her car was still there, and Wilson's was gone. She frowned. With a shrug, she turned to get her jacket and shrieked. "God, House! What the hell do you think you're doing?" She placed a hand over her heart in an effort to calm it down after her scare.

House snickered and removed the mask he was wearing. It was the mask he used to scare little children away from his door at Halloween time. It was gruesome thing, with one eye hanging out and the other one with a 'knife' through it. The teeth were broken, yellow, and nasty. Warts covered the face as well as scars and blood. "Sorry…wait, no. I'm not sorry at all. That was the funniest expression that I've seen on your face in a very long time."

Cameron glared at him and whacked him with her hand.

"Ouch! Okay, okay, sorry!" House whined and held his arm with his hand. "Cripple, remember?"

"I never forgot." Cameron sniped, still glaring. "That was the most horrid thing you've done yet." She rolled her eyes at his self-satisfied smirk. Then an idea sprung on her. "Think you can get Chase and Foreman with it?"

His answer was a smirk back as he thought of the two male duckling's faces would look like after seeing his mask.

She bumped his hip with hers as she walked by him. "I'm going home."

"What? Why?" House clamped his mouth shut when he realized how needy he sounded.

Cameron ticked each reason off on her fingers. "One, I need to do my laundry. Two, I'm sure that I have dishes to wash. Three, I need to check the messages on my phone. Four, I need to clean my place."

House just wrinkled his nose at her. "Fine. Be that way. Abandon the poor defenseless cripple."

Cameron grinned. "I'll see you Monday, unless we get called in tomorrow."

"Hey!" House protested. "If you're going home, I'm taking you."

"Greg, my car is here."

"So I'll follow you. Gotta make sure my immunologist stays safe from all those crazy drivers on the road."

Cameron rolled her eyes but smiled nonetheless. "Suit yourself."

xXx

Sunday morning came too soon for the sleep-deprived Allison Cameron. She tried to remember how long House had stayed but the time eluded her muddled mind. She groaned as she opened her eyes only to slam them shut against the unwelcome morning light streaming through the slightly open curtains in her room.

"Good god, why?" She groaned at the sound of her phone ringing from the living room. She started to climb out of bed but froze when she heard the answering machine pick up.

"Hey, Al. Pick up! I know you're home."

_Pause._

"Well, it's Joe. You keep ignoring me, and I'm starting to get frustrated. Call me!"

_Click._

Allison drew her knees up to her chest and willed herself not to cry. Why wouldn't Joe just get the message and leave her alone? He was starting to get stalker-ish and it was beginning to scare her.

A quick breakfast woke her up a bit more and she eyed the treadmill in the corner of her apartment that seemed to beckon her to come and run. With a determined sigh, she trudged to her room to change into her workout clothes. Turning on her stereo, she quickly chose a mix that reminded her of House and set the settings on her treadmill. Soon, the familiar pounding of her footsteps echoed through the small apartment and she found herself relaxing. Nothing like a good run to clear the mind.

A long, drawn-out shower and a cup of coffee later, she looked around her apartment, trying to figure out what she was going to do today. With a small grin, she realized that she never got to do her list from yesterday due to House being his normal distracting self. With an air of determination, she set to cleaning her apartment.

By the time the sun was setting, the dishes were put away, her apartment was vacuumed, and all the major surfaces were dusted. Cameron was currently sitting on her couch folding her laundry. She was always amazing at exactly how much laundry she seemed to accumulate over the week. Her apartment was silent save for the rustle of the clothes as she folded each article of clothing and laid it in the basket. She was startled when a knock on the door reverberated through her apartment.

When she opened it, she came face to face with someone she hoped she never had to see again.

"Hello, Al." His nearly leering grin peered down on her.

"Joe." She sighed almost unnoticeably. "What do you want?"

"To see you. I've called, and called, and called."

"I do not want to see you." She gritted out through her clenched jaw. "I would think that my refusal to answer the phone would have made that clear."

"But, Allison…"

"Leave, now. Before I call the cops on you."

With that said, she slammed the door shut, locking the handle and dead-bolting the door. As an after thought, she slid the chain in place as well.

xXx

Cameron walked into work slightly early the next morning to escape any chance that Joe would show up again first thing on her doorstep.

"Good morning, Doctor Cameron." House said in a high pitched girly voice. "How was your Sunday?"

"Good morning, Doctor House." She said back without looking up to acknowledge him or the fact that he was early, make that on-time, for once. "My Sunday was interrupted by a jerk-off who couldn't keep his hands to himself."

This got House's attention fast. "Who?" He demanded sharply, any lightness that had been evident in his voice earlier gone completely. He tightened his grip on his cane until his knuckles turned white.

"My cat." She looked up to see his expression and laughed when she saw him glaring at her.

He brandished his cane in a semi-menacingly way. "You…"

"Yes, me. It's about time you figure out that everything is about me, House." She smirked then grew more serious. "No, really, a friend of mine came over and decided that just talking wasn't enough. So I threw him out of my house. Besides, you know I don't have a cat." She shrugged in an unconcerned way, though House knew her better than that.

"You threw him out? Wow, you're stronger than I thought." He commented with a serious look, squeezing her arm playfully as if to measure how much muscle she had.

She laughed. It sounded light and happy and made House smile briefly. "Just give me the word and I'll kill him with my bare hands." Reaching over to the blinds, he flipped them closed. "Dumb glass walls. C'mere." He beckoned her with his finger. She more than happily obliged and they shared a gentle kiss that soon turned steamy. His hands were just starting to wander when a knock at the door alerted them to another's presence.

Looking up, they noticed that Chase, Foreman, and Wilson were standing just inside the door with huge grins on their faces, save for Chase who just stood there glowering at the couple.

"Well, I guess the 'confusing the Ducklings' part of the plan is shot." Cameron sighed and smirked at the three. She moved away from House, hoping the blush that had sprung up at the intrusion would disappear. She handed House his coffee and sat down at the desk, continuing to sort through the mail.

House pulled a face. "Oh, grow up, you three. If you want to see a show, I'd suggest going elsewhere. I heard Cuddy entertains hookers sometimes and is more than willing to perform for an audience."

"House, I have a patient for you." Cuddy walked into the room and looked around. Everyone was staring at her blankly making her feel somewhat uncomfortable. "What?" When no one answered, she rolled her eyes and thrust the folder at House. "Patient, now." She turned and headed out the door.

"Have fun with your hookers!" House called out gleefully. "Which one is it today? Candy Cane, or is it Honey Bear? Can Chase and Foreman watch? I think they're bored." House cocked his head to the side with a thinking expression in place as Cuddy came bursting angrily back into the room.

"Gregory House!" She was seething with anger.

"Yes, mommy?" He asked in his little kid voice.

She took a deep breath, preparing herself to scream at him, but instead gave a halfhearted smirk. "For that rude comment, you have eight extra hours of clinic this week." She said calmly before she spun on her heal and stormed off.

"Eight?" House scowled and slouched in his chair as his ducklings, girl friend, and best friend all burst out laughing. "Sure, you can laugh about it." He grumbled, chucking the file onto the table.

Cameron picked it up and started reading it. "Why did she give this to us? There's nothing wrong with…" She paused to read the name with a huge grin. "Dotty Myers? Are you serious?"

At that name, Chase groaned loudly and buried his face in his hands.

"Who's Dotty Myers?" House questioned with a narrowing of his eyes. "And why does it bring Chase misery?"

"She's a hypochondriac that haunts the clinic at least once a week." She handed it off to Foreman while Chase slouched in his chair miserably. "There's nothing wrong with her other than her diabetes."

"Lemme see it." House reached out and snatched the folder from Foreman who protested then shut up at the look House threw him. "Hmm. Seems you're right, Cameron. But just incase its something more…" House adopted an evil smirk. "Chase, go do the patient history." Just as he expected, Chase glowered at him and sunk even lower into his seat. "Foreman, go do some more blood work. Wilson, leave my office unless you want to become one of my ducklings, too. Cameron, keep sorting my mail." He pulled out his PSP and grinned. "As for me, I'm going to beat level 40. Have fun!"

Before anyone could leave, a knock on the door frame brought everyone's attention to the one man Cameron hoped to never see again. House saw the expression on her face and knew that it was the same guy from the night before. He caught her eye and she shook her head slightly. "Leave us alone. I need to talk to him." She said her voice surprisingly low and chillingly cold.

"You know him, Cameron?" Chase asked, concerned. Foreman seemed to be sizing the guy up.

"Yeah, I know him. All of you, now. Leave." She snapped, growing more and more agitated. All four of the others shrugged and left. House brushed his hand against hers as he left, giving her a flash of courage.

As soon as Cameron knew that they were alone, she turned to her dead husband's best friend. "Joe, what the hell are you doing here?" She said, clenching both her teeth and body.

"I wanted to see you, Al. I've missed you. I told you that last night. And in the messages I left for you before. You never called back by the way." He said almost sincerely, a friendly grin on his face. "I want you to come back to Baltimore with me, Al."

Cameron just glared at him, her eyes icy cold. "And I want your balls in a blender, but ain't life a bitch?"

"Allison…" He protested warningly. "That wasn't very nice." He started towards her, the friendliness turning to pure lust and leering.

Cameron backed up until she hit the counter behind her. "Get out." She grated out, pointing towards the door, wishing that House hadn't closed the blinds or the door.

"Now, now, Allison. You know better than that." Before she could say anything or scream, his lips crashed upon hers. He used his body to pin hers down so she couldn't move. Against her will, his hand moved its slow way down to the junction of her thighs. She reached up and slapped him but he just grabbed her wrists and forced them onto the counter. "Stop it, Allison." He growled, the lust completely taking over his mind.

She took the brief moment to scream as loud as she could. He reached out and smacked her across the face. "Cut it out, Allison. No one can help you. You sent them all away, remember?" He kissed her again, this time forcing his tongue into her mouth. He started to undo the buttons on Cameron's blouse and she continued to struggle. Neither of them heard the door slam open nor realized someone else was in the room until Joe suddenly collapsed after a loud crack resounded through the room.

Cameron looked up to see House standing there, a look of rage on his face that instantly softened once his eyes met hers. He limped painfully over to her, dropping his cane that was now in two pieces from clobbering the guy, and took her hands in his. "Are you okay?" His gaze swept over her body, checking for anything that could be wrong.

"Yes." Her voice was quiet and unsteady. She should've known that House wouldn't have gone far, and for once she was incredibly thankful for his nosiness. "I'm okay, thanks to you." She removed her hands from his to button up her blouse. Her hands were shaking uncontrollably and she found that she couldn't button up the shirt.

Before she could burst into tears, House stepped in. "Let me." He said gently. He reached out, and keeping his eyes locked on hers, slowly buttoned up the shirt. "You realize this is the second cane that I've broken on your behalf?" He said in a soft sarcastic tone before holding out his arms to her. "Allison." As he pulled her into his arms, the dam exploded open. She clutched his suit jacket and sobbed. He smoothed down her hair, using instinct to comfort the woman that had somehow made her way into his heart. After about five minutes of him holding her, Cameron's sobs slowly calmed down, and she pulled back to apologize when House's cell went off. She smiled slightly at the annoyed look that crossed his face.

"What the hell do you want?" He growled, pissed at the intrusive phone call.

"Whoa, House. What crawled up your ass and died? Oh, sorry I forgot, you're always like this."

"Wilson, state the purpose for this call in 1 second or less or I will come down and shove my broken cane up your ass." House barked, his icy blue eyes flashing in anger.

"Just wanted to see if you wanted to go get lunch. Never mind, I'll find Cuddy." Wilson sounded slightly scared before turning confused. "Wait. Why is your cane broken?"

"Yeah, go find the fun bags and their mommy. Bye-bye Jimmy!" He snarked before slamming the phone shut. "Shmuck." He muttered.

Cameron smiled slightly. "Shmuck, huh? So what did Wilson want?"

House diverted his attention to anything but her. "Lunch." He muttered, shoving his hands in his pockets, trying not to think about the fact that now he had no cane.

She nodded somewhat sadly. "So go. I'll page security to take him out of here and take off early and go home or something." She said softly, turning from him and preparing to call the front desk.

"Whoa, wait a minute, Allison." House was limping across to room to her side in a flash, taking the phone from her hand. He heard the desk worker's greeting and grimaced. "Get security to the Diagnostic's Department now." He barked out before smashing the phone back onto the cradle. "Now, as I was going to say, I am not going to lunch with Wilson. I was planning on asking you to lunch before this shit decided to attack you. Now my plans have changed. Instead, I'm going to take you home and cook you a meal and send you to bed." He said firmly, his tone leaving no room for arguments.

She was going to protest, but then decided against it. A meal cooked by House sounded much nicer than a microwavable dinner from Safeway anyway. She gave a chin up that was classic House and gave a small smile at the smirk that crossed his face.

Two security guards knocked on the door and entered the office. "Dr. House? Something about security?"

"Yeah. Get this jackass out of my office. He attacked Dr. Cameron, so I'd appreciate it if there was a constant guard on him. Whack him on the head again if he returns to a state of consciousness." Once Joe was out of the office, he turned back to Cameron.

"Come, I need to talk to Cuddy before we go." He wrapped an arm around her shoulders and they began to walk down the hall, House using Cameron as a cane of some sorts. He turned his head towards her and grinned. "How's this to get a new cane?" His voice took on a mock pleading. "Oh please, Mommy! I need a new cane. Mine somehow broke itself on some guy's skull." His voice changed to a high pitched tone. "House, what did you do this time? Am I going to get another law suit against you?" He changed it back to his normal voice. "I didn't do anything Cuddy. And why get a law suit? A blue one would look much better." Back to mocking Cuddy. "House, I am losing my patience with you." Back to his voice. "But Cuddy, he provoked me. I need a new cane." He grinned at Cameron who was laughing hard. He let a chuckle escape that died with the smile as soon as he saw Cuddy's glaring expression when they turned the corner.

"For the record, I already have a blue suit. Secondly, House, my voice isn't that high. Thirdly, what is this I hear about breaking your cane over this guy's head?" Her toe was tapping and her arms were crossed across her chest, both sure signs that she was greatly annoyed.

He opened his mouth to snark off with a comment about how her arms were pushing up her breasts, but with a glance at Cameron, he changed his mind. "I had a good reason. The bastard was trying to rape Dr. Cameron." He said gruffly, unconsciously tightening his grip on the woman in question.

"That shit!" Cuddy gasped, her eyes turning dark with anger. "You should've done more then break your cane. You should've shoved it as far as it would go up that guy's ass!"

Both Cameron and House stared at Cuddy in shock. Cameron was the first to recover, surprisingly enough. With a look much like House usually wore when mocking Cuddy, Cameron spoke up. "Well, Lisa. I never would have put you for one who liked sadism. Are you like this in bed too?"

At Cuddy's flabbergasted face, House let out a genuine, loud bout of laughter. "Oh, snap!" He shook his head mockingly. "It would appear that our sweet, naïve little Allison here has been spending way too much time with her big mean boss."

"So it would seem." Cuddy muttered, secretly impressed that the young immunologist had finally started to develop a back bone and had come up with such a crass comment, though she kept her face angry. "Extra clinic duty for_ both_ of you when you come back." She held up her hand at House's protests. "I know you're going to be at her side and your stubborn self won't leave her, so I'll letting you both go home early."

"Keep us updated on our patient." Always the workaholic, Cameron spoke up while House just rolled his eyes impatiently.

Cuddy smiled softly. "I will, Allison. Now leave before I change my mind."

They weren't about to argue with their boss. They took off down the hall, rather slowly considering House was cane-less, but faster than they were going before. "Bike?" House asked as they entered the parking garage.

"Bike." Cameron agreed, accepting the helmet from his hand. He shifted to zip up his jacked. She started to laugh when she caught sight of his shirt.

He looked bewildered. "What?"

"I just noticed what your shirt said." She giggled, her eyes sparkling. " 'My parents told me that I could be anything I wanted, so I became an asshole.' " She read it out loud when he still looked confused. "It's perfect." 

He smirked smugly at her. "And the best part of the shirt is that Wilson found it. He walked into my office and said that he found 'the gift of all gifts' for me, whatever that meant. I opened the newspaper wrapping and found this." He gestured to the shirt as he awkwardly clambered onto the bike.

Cameron laughed again. "Well, it fits. In more ways than one." She swung her leg over the bike and settled in behind him. She slipped her arms around his waist and meshed her fingers together.

If she could have seen House's expression, she would have melted. The most tender expression of love and adoration had crossed his face and he reached down and placed a hand on hers and squeezed lightly before placing it back on the handlebars and gunning the engine. With a huge roar, they peeled out of the parking garage and into the midday traffic.

xXx

House dropped his keys onto the coffee table and tossed his backpack onto the floor beside the couch. "Okay, so make yourself at home…again. Didn't think you'd be back _this_ soon." He called over his shoulder as he limped off to the bathroom, opening the closet door to grab his spare cane from the back. "Gotta pee."

Cameron nodded and allowed her body to collapse onto the couch. She was exhausted from the day and it had only begun a few hours earlier. She took a glance at the clock and noted the time. 12:30. She sighed and lay down on the couch. She was asleep almost as soon as her head hit the couch pillow.

House really didn't have to pee, but the bathroom seemed the safest place to hide. He went into the bathroom and sat down on the toilet seat, bouncing the cane on the ground. His face contorted into all sorts of thinking positions as he debated whether or not to tell her how he felt. When had he heard her scream in his office, his heart had stopped. He never noticed the pain in his leg as he burst into the room and saw _him _assaulting the woman he loved. The awareness of the pain didn't return until he knew she was safe. He subconsciously rubbed the thigh muscle and sighed. He knew what he had to do.

He stepped out of the bathroom only to find that he couldn't see her. He was about to call out her name when he saw her. A half smile graced his features as he watched her sleep before limping into his bedroom. Lunch could wait. Her sleep was more important.

xXx

"Greg's house of love. I am currently with someone right now, so go away."

_Beep!_

"Cute, House." Wilson's wry tone echoed in the still room. "I'm always amazed at your answering machine messages. Look, I'm trying to find Allison. Some guy has been practically haunting the diagnostic's department looking for her. I asked him what he needed, and he said that he needed to find Dr. Cameron and that it was most urgent." _Pause _ "Hey, I know you're there House." _Pause_ "Greg, pick up the phone." _Pause _"Okay…fine. I'll just tell him where she lives. Maybe they'll start dating." _Pause_ "Maybe they'll even get married." _Pause _"I guess you really aren't there. Figured if anything, the thought of her getting married to someone else would at least interest you. I'm not going to tell you to call me, because I know you won't."

_Click!_

The room was now silent save for one sound. Breathing. Soon, another sound joined the first. Thump…thump…thump. The cause of the noise dropped his frame into the recliner chair in the living room and sat staring at the woman draped across his couch. Moments, then minutes ticked by. He lost track of time as he sat there, silent and still. He finally broke the silence with a gruff whisper that was barely audible. "I love you, Allie."

He reached out, took his cell phone in hand, and pressed speed dial. He waited until it started to ring before limping back to his room. "Wilson, its House." _Pause_ "Yes, I called you back and no, don't expect it to become a habit. I just wanted to you know that I have Cameron here." _Pause_ "Yeah. Did he say his name?" _Pause_ "No, don't recognize the name, but that doesn't always mean something. Did he say why…?" _Pause_ "No? Hmm. I'll call you later."

_Click!_

He slowly closed the phone and stood in the middle of his room, leaning heavily on his cane. A noise at the door turned his head. A corner of his mouth turned up and his eyebrows rose slightly. "Hey."

A bleary eyed Cameron was leaning against the doorframe. "Hey."

"I woke you." House stated simply. She just shook her head in the negative. He cocked his head slightly. "Oh-kay."

She smiled and walked over to him slowly. He just watched her steadily despite the rapid increase of his pulse. She placed her hands on his chest, stood on tip-toes and brushed her lips lightly on his. Before he could respond, she moved her mouth to his ear and placed a kiss on his temple before whispering, "I love you too, Greg."

His cerulean eyes were deep and intense as he pulled back enough to fix his gaze on her face. His hands came up and gently gripped her waist. He closed his eyes briefly when she touched his jaw lightly, rubbing her fingers along the stubble there. Turning his head slightly, he kissed the palm of her hand. "I didn't want to." He whispered. "But somehow, you managed to climb over barriers that I built after Stacy." He looked down, but her fingers pushed his chin up slightly so he was looking at her. Without a word, she pulled his face down to hers. He responded cautiously at first before plundering her mouth with his. His hands drifted up a little bit more and splayed across her waist while her fingers played with the sleeves of his t-shirt.

A distant ringing forced them apart. Cameron gave a breathless laugh and let her forehead fall onto his chest. "It's probably Foreman or Chase."

"Yeah." House sounded just as breathless. He gripped her jaw and tilted her face back up to his. He gave her a sound kiss before releasing her, limping towards the door. "I'll make lunch; you call back whoever just called you." He held a hand out to her. She placed her hand in his and they walked out to the living room. He kissed the top of her head before releasing her. "Go, I can handle making food."

"You sure? Wouldn't want your lovely piano to burn in a tragic fire." Cameron called over her shoulder as she fished through her purse trying to find her phone.

"No, we wouldn't want…oh, you." House snarked, leaning out of the kitchen to look at her. "Now you're just playing with my mind."

"Yes, that is it. I just love playing with your mind." Cameron rolled her eyes and checked the voice mail. She froze as she listened to it. Her eyes rolled and she crumpled down to the ground.

"Allison, would you rather have hamburgers, or hotdogs?" House called out. "Allison?" When he didn't hear a reply, he walked out to the living room. "Allie, what…? Dear god." He rushed as best as he could and dropped to her side, his leg forgotten. "Allison, wake up. What happened?" He caught sight of her phone and held it to his ear. All he could hear was deep breathing. "No wonder you passed out. What else did you hear?" He muttered, dropping the phone. "C'mon, Cameron. Wake up now."

Her eyelids fluttered and she focused on his face. "Greg." He helped her sit up. "Did you hear it?"

His lips formed a thin line. "Part of it, yeah." His gaze took in her shaking form and he sighed. "C'mere." She moved into his arms and he held her tightly. After a bit, he grimaced. "As much fun as this is, if I don't stand soon, I'm not going to have a leg."

She gasped and stood up swiftly. "Greg, I'm sorry."

"You'd better be. Now, to the question that I asked after you passed out. Hamburgers or hotdogs?"

Cameron winced at the sound of eating beef. "How about take out?" She really wasn't in the mood for either choice.

"That's my girl." He smirked. "Less dishes. Chinese or pizza?"

"Chinese. I'll take whatever. You know what I like." Cameron shrugged and sat down on the couch. "I'll be waiting right here."

House nodded and quickly punched out to the man on the other end of the line their order. He soon joined Cameron on the couch and she immediately curled up next to him, her head on his shoulder. She sniffed and closed her eyes, willing herself not to cry again. "Hey." House brushed her hair from her eyes and tucked it behind her ear. "It'll be okay."

"I know." She said softly. "Greg?"

"Yes?"

"Can you play me something?"

"Okay." He pried himself from her side and seated himself comfortably at the piano. "What do you desire?"

"Something funny."

"Okay." He thought for a moment before a grin crossed his face. "I've got one for you." He cracked his knuckles and started to play out a soft melody.

A frown crossed Cameron's face. "That isn't funny."

"Just wait." House said, amused. "Now shush." With serious look put in place, House started to sing along with the melody.

"Mystery. All my life has been…a mystery. You and I were never ever meant to be. That's why I call my love for you…a mystery."

Cameron gave him a strange look. "You'd better not be…"

"Shhh." House ignored her and continued to sing in the most serious, British voice he could muster.

"Different country. You and I have always lived in a different country. And I know that airline tickets don't grow on a tree. So what kept us apart is plain for me to see. That much at least is not really a mystery."

He risked a glance at Cameron and was pleased to see her with her hand to her mouth to cover up the giggles that were trying to emerge. He winked at her and continued the outrageous song.

"Estuary. I live in a houseboat on an estuary. Which is handy for my work with the Tamesis Port Authority. But I know you would have found it insanitary. Insanitary…"

Cameron couldn't hold in the laughter any longer. She leaned on the armrest of the couch, shaking with laughter. 

"Taken a violent dislike to me. I'd be foolish to ignore the possibility…that if we'd ever actually met, you might have hated me. Still, that's not the only problem that I can see. Dead since 1973. You've been dead now…wait a minute, let me see...Fifteen years come next JAN-uary. As a human being you are history…So why do I still long for you?  
Why is my love so strong for you? Why did I write this song for you? Well, I guess it's just the mystery. Mystery!"

He finished the song with a flourish and faced her. She was wiping her eyes and still giggling at the song. "Greg, that was hilarious. Did you write that?"

"Yup. High school, I think. Might have been college." He smirked mischievously at her and patted the bench next to him.

She took his hidden invitation and joined him on the piano bench, wrapping her arm around his waist. "Thank-you." She whispered softly, her head resting on his shoulder.

He nodded silently and kissed her forehead gently. Without a word, he started on a melody that she had only heard once before when the musical protégée was a patient, one he told Wilson, then later her, he had written in high school.

xXx

AN: The song House sings is actually one Hugh Laurie sang at some random interview with some guy I don't remember the name of. Both the interview and the song made me laugh, so I put the song in here.


	17. Arguments, lunches, and rain, oh my!

Story Title: Touch of Destiny

Chapter 17: Arguments, lunches, and rain, oh my!

Chapter summery: Out of characterness ensues and House reacts to what Cameron tells him in his typical Housian fashion.

xXx

Disclaimer: Not mine, unless you don't recognize a character. Then it is mine, and you shouldn't take it.

AN: This is a public service announcement. The mysterious breathing is in no way related to Joe. Thank you, and have a nice day.

xXx

MLN: Time will tell, my friend. Time will tell.

Obsessedwithstabler: I reviewed your stories! And you need to update Hide and Seek. Waits Well?

Sour Pickle: I'm glad you loved it! I'll update as soon as I can.

whoKMH: It will be revealed. And Cameron probably does need to make a statement…let's just say she did?

SilvaK: You didn't offend me. I'm not easily offended. And I'm glad you liked the chapter!

LittleDragonfly23: I never liked Joe anyway. Lol.

This-Family-Affair: I'm glad that the last chapter met your approval:D

ShipperCrazed – FanFicCrazy: (Shrugs) Not sure yet. Joe could show up again. He also could not. It's all a mystery….MWA-HAHAHA!

GregoryHouseAddict: Thanks!

KyGirl03 (): I love SVU! Hence why I used that line…lol. I'm glad you loved it! It's always refreshing to have new readers.

Saz: Oh Saz…I love your reviews. If you go to youtube, I think you can find it there.

AllisonCammie: Well, they make House so talented, I figured she aught to have her own talents. As for Joe…that would be funny to have House beat the crap out of him, wouldn't it…haha!

Allie House: Funny thing is, I was going to have him be the one who shot her. Then I decided that this was a better way to make everyone hate him. :D I have better ideas for who shot the innocent Dr. Cameron.

xXx

Cameron rushed into the diagnostics department at 8:40, startling the two inside. "Sorry I'm late."

Foreman looked around, a confused expression on his face. "Umm, Cameron. You're always early, so I think you're allowed to be 10 minutes later than usual. Besides, didn't Cuddy…"

"I decided to come in today. It's better than sitting at home going 'oh poor me. My dead husband's best friend is a total bastard and I'm pathetically depressed because of it'." Cameron countered sarcastically, albeit breathless. "What are you two doing here so early?"

Chase shrugged. "I wanted to talk to you. I don't know what Foreman's doing here." He threw the black man an obvious glare which Foreman returned.

"I'm here because Cuddy wanted to talk to me. We just finished ten minutes ago." Foreman gave her a knowing look and smirked. "So…when is House coming in?"

Cameron shrugged nonchalantly, though her dancing eyes gave her away. "I wouldn't know."

"Yes you would." Chase said bitterly as he twirled in House's chair he had stolen from the other office. "He was at your place all day yesterday."

"And how would you know this?" Cameron demanded, a bit miffed at the attitude Chase was using, and a bit worried as to how he would know this bit of information.

"Don't ask like you don't know." Chase scoffed. "He took you home, leaving your car here, speaking of which…how did you get here anyway? Took a cab? What a gentleman." He said sarcastically. "I can see why you want him. He sure takes care of you like you deserve."

"Actually, Chase, I brought her here." House announced from the doorway, his tone unamused. "And yes, she was at my place aaaall night. However, I fail to see how this is any of your concern." He fixed Chase with a stare that made the younger man shrink in his chair. "So, in the words of A.A. Milne, 'Get out of my chair, you dillhole!'" House glared at Chase who quickly vacated the chair and moved to one of the uncomfortable ones sitting around the diagnostics table.

"First off, Chase, it is not your business who I date and why. Secondly, whatever it was you wanted to talk to me about, can be talked about in front of everyone else." Cameron stated quietly. "I don't appreciate your obsession with me. I just got rid of one stalker, I don't need another one."

No one seemed to notice Chase's obvious discomfort at her statement because Cuddy marched in just then. "Allison, I thought I gave you a couple of days off?"

"You did, and I appreciate it." Cameron smiled slightly. "I'd rather be working then sitting at home bored or sick of watching Tivo'd General Hospital or The 'L' Word."

"On mute." House chimed in unhelpfully with a smirk.

Cuddy fixed House with her customary glare reserved for him that clearly told him she wanted an explanation as to why he didn't keep her home.

"You try keeping her at home when she doesn't want to be there." House muttered, his smirk gone. "It's like trying to nail jello to a wall. Or slam a revolving door. Or creating a never ending supply of vicodin. Impossible. Believe me, I wish that last one were possible so I didn't have to see you or Wilson to refill my prescription."

The dean of medicine just stared at House before she shook her head solemnly. "I never thought I'd see the day when the world-renown Dr. House would just give up on something everyone else deemed impossible."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa! Hold it right there." House protested. "It's not like I didn't try! This isn't a case where some idiot doctor couldn't…"

"Oh he tried." Cameron interrupted his rant and smirked in his direction. "But when I started walking he decided that it'd be better for him to drive me to my apartment instead of letting me walk all the way across town. Something about protecting my honor…?"

"Thank-you, Allison. Now everyone is going to think that I'm going soft." House rolled his eyes and moved towards his office.

"No one's thinking you're going soft, House." Cuddy smirked. "Quite the contrary, in fact."

"Besides…" Cameron smiled softly. "I'm the only one you'd do that for anyway."

"Yeah, and maybe Wilson." Cuddy added.

"Nope, not Wilson." House turned around with a grin aimed at Cameron. "Just Allison."

She grinned back before turning to the coffee pot. She needed her caffeine and so did the boys, if she was observing correctly.

Cuddy shook her head. "Clinic sometime today, House. All of your hours. If you don't, I won't hesitate to give you all of Cameron's, Chases, Foreman's, _and_ Wilson's."

"You can't make me!" House said childishly and limp-ran into his office to hide.

Cameron giggled before covering her mouth with her hand and composed herself quickly while Chase and Foreman just rolled their eyes.

Cuddy sighed and looked towards the ceiling as if to say 'why me?' She gave them all a pointed look. "Just because you don't have to do your hours if he doesn't do his doesn't mean you don't try and get him to actually go to the clinic and work." She turned and left the room, not noticing Chase moving his hand as if to say 'blah blah blah.' Cameron and Foreman grinned at each other before looking away before they could burst out laughing.

The moment Cuddy was gone, House poked his head out of the office. "Is the Wicked Witch gone?"

"Yes, Dorothy. The Wicked Witch of the West is gone, though she isn't melted. Try water next time instead of hiding in your office." Cameron said calmly without looking up, filling both his red cup and her black one with the freshly brewed coffee.

"I'll do that. Just need to keep a water bottle on me at all times. If I'm Dorothy, does that mean you're Toto?" House questioned as he took his cup from her, one eyebrow raised.

"Nope, that's Chase."

"Hey!" An indignant protest rose from the Australian man.

Foreman snorted. "No, he's the Scarecrow. No brain, remember?"

"And you're the Cowardly Lion, is that right?" Chase countered with a glare aimed at the black man.

"Nope, I'm Glinda." Foreman grinned.

Cameron laughed at the thought of Foreman in a pink dress waving around a snowflake wand.

House must have had the same image because he shuddered as he pondered the thought for a moment. "Nope, sorry, that's Cameron. She's all good and cuddly and looks better in a dress. You can be the Wizard, who everyone thinks has power but in reality he has diddly-squat."

"I don't like what that implies, House." Foreman grinned good-naturedly.

"So who's Wilson?" Cameron questioned

"Toto." All three of the males said in unison.

"What about me being a little, annoyingly yappy dog?" Wilson's voice sounded from the doorway where he had poked his head in.

"We were deciding who was what if we were from Oz." Cameron explained with a smile.

"Oh, let me guess, Cameron." Wilson grinned back at her before throwing House a small glare. "Since I'm Toto, House is Dorothy. You're Glinda, Chase is the Scarecrow, and Foreman is…the tin man?"

"Close, apparently I'm the Wonderful Wizard of Oz." Foreman corrected with a roll of his eyes.

"Huh. And Cuddy is obviously the Wicked Witch of the West."

"Obviously. Now all we need now is the Tin Man and the Cowardly Lion." House finished. "Hmmm."

"Tritter." Wilson and House said in unison. "He's the Cowardly Lion." Wilson finished with a grin.

Cameron and Foreman laughed. "And Vogler is the Tin Man. No heart." Cameron giggled.

"Now that's not fair." Chase glowered.

"Oh you're just mad that your 'buddy' was a loser and you're the dumb one of the group." House blew it off with a wave of his hand. "Get over it."

"I have an idea, one that will keep all the nurses, and Cuddy, on their toes." Wilson had a mischievous look on his face. "Do you all know the song?"

Cameron started the song with a grin. "We're off to see the wizard…"

"…the wonderful wizard of Oz." House continued slowly, seeing where Wilson was going with this. "No way."

Foreman caught on too. "Oh no, there is NO way I'm dancing down the hall singing that."

"Besides, we're missing two of the people." Chase reasoned, trying to get out of it. "And Cuddy's going to be pissed."

"Think about it, House." Wilson ignored Chase and pointed to House. "You hate to be predicable. This is the last thing _anyone_ in the whole entire hospital will be expecting."

"Hmm. You got me there." He scrunched his face in thought before nodding once briskly. "I'm in." House went back to Chase's comment and dismissed it. "Chase, I've done stuff that pisses Cuddy off ever since college. She's not going to be pissed at this."

"Let's do it." Cameron decided firmly, secretly delighted at the thought of dancing down the hall singing, something she hadn't done in years.

"We have a patient." Chase tried again.

All four of the others shrugged. "She's not dying." House stated matter-a-factly. "She's a hypochondriac. Besides, it'll take five minutes."

Foreman thought it over and shrugged. "Why not? It'll break the monotony of hospital life. Where should we start?"

"Cancer ward." Cameron said softly. "There are kids in there who need some joy brought to them."

House, for once, didn't make some comment about fixing the world. "Let's do it." He said decisively, tapping his cane loudly.

"Wait." Chase looked at House curiously. "No comments about her idea?"

He shrugged. "It was a good idea. Normally, I would make some comment, but she's right. Those kids need some laughter, as I'm sure Wilson would agree."

Wilson nodded. "Some of those kids never have visitors because their parents don't want to deal with a child that has cancer and won't recover."

"See?" House shrugged. "Good idea. Let's go."

With a grimace, Foreman pulled Chase from his chair and followed the other three out of the door.

"We're gonna have to just walk." House said suddenly with a tone of slight regret. "I can't skip."

"Oh, I forgot about that!" Wilson said apologetically. "We can just walk, that's fine. But we are still going to link arms."

"I get to be in the middle!" House announced. "Cameron, you're on one side, Foreman, you're on the other."

"I'll be by Cameron." Wilson said before Chase could call it. He smiled slightly at the look of appreciation Cameron shot his way.

Chase grew even more sullen. "I guess I'm by Foreman then."

House tossed his cane in Wilson's office as they passed by on the way to the Cancer Ward and popped a couple of vicodin. The five of them joined arms and grinned at each other, though Chase's was obviously forced. Ignoring the nurses' looks of confusion, they all started to sing loudly as they pranced down the hall.

Nurse Kate's jaw dropped as she saw the five dignified doctors singing and half-skipping down the hall. She picked up the phone and dialed a number. "Dr. Cuddy, you need to see this…I think they've all lost their minds."

xXx

Dr. Cuddy stared at the doctors dancing around in the hall, the giggles of the children mixing with the off-key singing. They had moved from the _Wizard of Oz_ to _Singing in the Rain _and were now singing _The Hills are Alive_ from the Sound of Music, with House singing in a loud, off-key falsetto, which just made the kids giggle even more. A lot of the kids had moved to the doorway to watch the 'show' and clapped and laughed when one of the doctors tripped or messed up the words. Cameron, Foreman and Wilson were beaming at the obvious joy the kids were expressing while Chase seemed to smile slightly. House was…House…with the exception of a certain light of joy in his eyes that shocked Cuddy.

"Who knew that Dr. House was capable of this sort of…happiness." Nurse Kate said, shocked.

"Yes…who knew?" Cuddy murmured with a slight grin. This was the House she remembered from college. The one who would do anything to make anyone happy, even if it meant he looked like an idiot.

"I mean, he's usually so…depressed." The young nurse continued, unaware that Cuddy was no longer paying attention to her. She shook her head at the spectacle and went back to her paperwork.

The group came to an abrupt halt when they saw Cuddy standing at the nurses' station and all pointed to each other, placing the blame on someone other than themselves. The sight was so comical that Cuddy couldn't help but laugh. "As much fun you had, and as much as I'm sure the kids enjoyed your concert, it's time for good, respectable doctors to go back to work."

With a sigh, the five unlinked arms and headed back towards the diagnostics wing with the exception of Wilson who remained in the cancer wing to check on some of his in-patients.

"Dr. Cameron, a word." Cuddy called out before she could leave.

House paused, looking at Cameron curiously. She shook her head. "Just go, I'll be there in a minute." She waited until House disappeared into the elevator before turning to her boss. "Yes, Dr. Cuddy?"

"I sincerely hope that you will consider my offer." She smiled at the younger woman who smiled hesitantly back.

"I have been. I haven't…" She sighed softly. "I haven't told Dr. House yet."

"Ah." Cuddy nodded knowingly. "Please tell him soon. The last thing I need is a revolt on my office led by him."

Cameron laughed lightly. "I'll be sure that it doesn't happen." She turned and headed down towards the diagnostics department, her mind whirling. She had yet to tell House what Cuddy had written in her folder. Instead of a re-application, she had placed instead an application for the head of Immunology. A note explained that the application was just for legal purposes, all Cameron had to do was say 'yes' and the job was hers. However, Cuddy had made it very clear that Cameron could not continue in a fellowship under House due to the relationship she had with him. She had a month to make a choice or else Cuddy would have no choice but to fire her. Cameron dreaded telling House because she knew what his reaction was going to be.

xXx

"As much fun as that was, it's time for work again." House announced as they walked back into the department. "Differential diagnosis. Older than dirt woman who keeps haunting Chase now seems to have an actual problem." He gave Chase a squinting glare. "Did you give her something?"

"No!" Chase grew defensive. "Why would I do that? I hate that woman. Why on earth would I want to see her as our patient?"

"Well, you seem a might touchier than usual." House mused, eyeing Chase suspiciously. "You're guilty. About what, I don't know. But you feel guilty for something that has happened in the past couple of days."

"I'm not guilty of anything." Contrary to his statement, Chase squirmed ever-so-slightly, not meeting House's gaze.

House leaned forward slightly and squinted at him before smirking. "You're lying." He straightened up and faced the board once more. "Just more proof in my theory that everybody lies." He eyed each one of the fellowship before continuing. "Now, differential diagnosis."

"MS." Foreman suggested from his seat near the whiteboard.

"No, it's not MS." Cameron argued from her place at the doorway before walking in and sitting at the table. "It doesn't fit."

"Maybe not _your_ definition of MS, but for mine…"

"Not MS." House ended the argument. "Cameron's right. Now, little miss know-it-all, what can it be?"

"Not sure. You haven't even written the symptoms down yet." Cameron stated, amused. "However, I have had the…shall we say pleasure?...of having her in the clinic. I'm sure we all have, with the exception of you, House." She held out a folder. "Also, I picked up the blood work and it says that she doesn't have MS."

House took the folder and stuck out his tongue at her. "Gimme." He scanned the folder and nodded. "I agree. So, what _does_ the blood work tell us?"

"That she's diabetic, like we already knew. That she has a slight electrolyte imbalance that can easily be fixed with a banana bag which, by the way, I already ordered. It also tells us that she has cancer." The last one was said with a sigh as she handed the last page of the blood work to House.

He scanned the page and grunted. "Transfer her to Wilson. She is now his patient."

"Wait." Chase held up a hand. "Shouldn't we do some more tests and consult Wilson to make sure? What if it's something other than cancer that mimics cancer cells?" When no one answered he shrugged. "What? It's been known to happen."

The older man rolled his eyes, annoyed. "Thank-you, Chase. You've offered a provocative theory. What it lacks in substance, it makes up for in pretty colors." House frowned deeply before nodding once. "However…" House paused. "I never thought I'd say this, but what Chase said makes sense." He looked up at Chase. "Alright, Chase. You've just earned yourself the chance to do some more blood work on your favorite patient. Cameron, show Wilson your findings and chit-chat about it. Tell me what you two come up with. Foreman…" He paused, thinking of something for him to do. "Foreman, I want you to research any and all possibilities that not-cancer-but-seems-like-cancer cells could be. I'll be in my office."

With that said, he turned on his heel and limped into his office, not expecting anyone to follow him. He looked up from rummaging around in his desk drawers to see Cameron clenched at the door separating his office from the differential room. He froze at the unidentifiable look on his…girlfriends?...face. "Allison, please unclench. There's that whole 'I clench when you clench' thing." When she didn't respond or unclench, he straightened up and glared slightly at her. "Either say what you're going to say or go do your job like I asked." He didn't have the patience for the game she apparently wanted to play.

"Cuddy's transferring me out." She said without emotion, looking up from the ground to his face. "I have a month left."

House froze again before his face grew stony. "Did I just hear you right, or am I growing deaf in my old age? Did you just say that you're leaving?"

She sighed softly. "I knew you were going to react this way. No. I am not _leaving_, I'm being _transferred_ to a different department."

"I find out from a note on my desk this morning that Foreman is indeed going to stay for another year, Chase called me yesterday and told me that he still doesn't know, not that I care much about him, and you're now telling me that you are leaving me." House's voice started to climb in volume.

"I'm not leaving, Greg!" Her voice unconsciously matched his in volume. "I'm becoming department head of Immunology!"

"Still leaving me!"

"I'm leaving the _department_ not YOU!"

"Not a big difference, Allison." House snorted angrily. "Face it, you're leaving me."

"Yeah, you know me so well!" She yelled bitterly. "This is a great opportunity for me, one that Cuddy graciously gave me instead of firing me immediately for dating my boss."

"Oh that's rich." House bit off the words. "You can't handle the pressure of working under me, so you went to Cuddy…"

"I went to Cuddy and what?" Her voice suddenly went chillingly calm. "Told her that since I'm dating you I can't work for you anymore? Grow up. Not everyone is out to get you, Greg, least of all me. If I could keep working for you, I would. But it's either me going to another department and us staying together, or me working for you and us never speaking to each other again. Quite frankly, I can't handle that."

"See? You can't handle being with me." House sounded even more bitter than before.

"I can't handle NOT being with you!" Her voice rose again. "God, Greg. You are so self-centered that you can't see past your own narrow-mindedness. Try seeing it from my perspective. Try seeing it from the view that I'm losing my job because I'm with the man I _want_ to be with." Without waiting for a response, she stormed out of the department, leaving House alone with his anger and bitterness.

xXx

Chase burst into the diagnostics room, eager to display what he had found only to find no one there. "Huh." He frowned slightly and pondered as to where the others could be. A loud bang told him that House was chucking his ball at the wall and it was _not_ lightly. Foreman walked in just as Chase was debating whether or not to approach House.

"I wouldn't do that." Foreman warned.

"Do what?"

"Disturb House." The black man explained. "He's a bit…touchy right now." Sitting down on one of the chairs, he leaned back with his hands behind his head. "So, let me guess what the tests showed."

Chase shrugged. "Okay. Shoot."

Foreman grinned. "House was right that it's cancer."

Chase gasped theatrically. "No, really? So what type is it then, Doctor Foreman. Please tell me, I'm desperate to know what I'm dying of."

"Senility." Foreman deadpanned

"Hey!" The Australian was indignant. "First off, that is _not_ a type of cancer, and secondly, I resent the idea that you are talking about me!"

"Relax." Foreman chuckled. "I was just kidding. She has Langerhans Cell Histiocytosis."

"_I_ was just going to say that she simply has lung disease, but the long version works, too."

"Well, what can I say? I like being fancy." Foreman grinned and held out his hand for the tests.

"I did another blood test and took some x-rays. We should probably do a CT scan and take a biopsy, but it's almost conclusive that she has lung disease." Chase explained as Foreman read the results.

"Then let's do it." Foreman looked around. "Where's Cameron?"

"Not here." House announced, startling the other two. "Go do your tests and then take her to Wilson. She's his problem now. I'm going to go find our wayward duckling."

xXx

Cameron leaned against the wall just outside the ER and sighed. She had changed into light grey scrubs to protect her work clothes and had already assisted with four emergency surgeries and stitched up three kids from the same soccer game. She closed her eyes and leaned her head against the wall letting the sounds of the hospital wash over her. A few minutes passed in relative silence before she realized that someone was standing against the opposite wall. The sound of a cane tapping the wall confirmed who was with her. Without looking up, she addressed him. "What to do you want, House?" Her voice was traced a slight hint of hostility. 

He felt his heart twist slightly at the use of his last name, but he shoved the feeling away. "For starters, I wanted to inform you that our patient has lung disease and is going to die eventually, and secondly I want you to come back and do your damn job." 

Now she looked at him, for a few seconds she just stared at him. When she lowered her face, she took the badge out of her scrub-pocket and frowned. "Hmm, and unless I can't read right, it says 'Allison Cameron, MD'" she emphasized the last two letters to make her point. "And this looks suspiciously like an ER. Or am I suddenly not in the hospital any longer? Toto, I don't think we're in Princeton any more." She deadpanned and looked back at him. "I _am_ doing my job. I am a _doctor_. This is what _doctors_ do. They _fix_ people."

House had his difficulties to hide a grin and he had to admit that he liked the sarcasm she was displaying. He was also finding it hard to remember why he was pissed at her in the first place. Instead he kept staring at her. "As true as that might be, your medical license also says 'Immunologist'. Now I do not want to be a smartass here, but last time I checked that big word had nothing to do with bones, torn muscles, or broken ribs." His voice was dripping with sarcasm all over.

"Since when do you not want to be a smartass?" She questioned seriously. When he didn't answer she nodded. "I'm going back to work. I'll return to the department only when you absolutely need me or next week. I have three more days down here."

"Away from me, you mean." House's sarcasm was back in full swing as he was reminded why he was mad. "You can't handle one little argument, so you…"

"One little argument?" Cameron rolled her eyes skyward, annoyed. "House, I'm sure the whole damn hospital heard our 'little' argument." They fell silent, House brooding and Cameron frustrated. "Look. I'm sorry Cuddy's transferring me to another department. But we still have a month left of my fellowship. I'll even help you find someone to replace me. But until you can stop acting like a despondent two-year-old who just lost their 'baba', I'll be down here."

"Allison…"

"Just go, Greg." Her voice had lost its hostility as she pointed to the door. "We'll talk at lunch in a half-hour unless you decide that you aren't speaking to me."

He nodded briskly. "Okay. Half-hour it is. Page me if you're going to be late."

"I will." She watched as he disappeared around the corner. When he was out of sight, she collapsed onto the bench just inside the OR and groaned.

"Dr. Cameron?"

She looked up to seen one of the new interns watching her cautiously. "Yes?"

"Are you okay?"

"I'm fine, Malcoy. Back to work."

"Yes, Doctor." The young female quickly vacated the immediate premises to do her original job.

xXx

He knew that lunch could have the potential of being awkward, but House realized that having her pissed at him all day for making her miserable wasn't the best idea. He tried to reason with himself that she was still working at the same hospital, just in a different wing. All the way across on the other side of the hospital. He groaned internally and banged his fist on his desk.

"Um, House?" Wilson was standing at the doorway to the hallway and eyeing him curiously. "Are…you okay?"

"Just fine. Peachy, in fact." House said sarcastically. "Couldn't be better."

"Somehow I doubt that." Wilson said knowingly. "You want to get lunch."

…_and talk about it._ House finished in his mind. "No, I have a lunch date." He said out loud.

"Oh, so she _is_ still speaking to you."

"Go to hell." House muttered.

"I'll save you a spot."

"Thanks, I would appreciate it." The sarcasm was evident as House shuffled papers on his desk.

"It's no problem, I'm used to doing things for you that you don't appreciate, so you actually appreciating…"

"Wilson…"

"Yes?"

"Shut up."

_Pause_

"So…"

"I'm still not going to lunch with you. I already have a lunch date."

"I need to talk. I'll pay…"

"As tempting as _not_ having to pay for mine and Allison's food, I'll have to decline…for the third time in two minutes."

"Why is it no matter what I have going on, if you need to talk, I drop everything. But if I need to talk…" He didn't get to finish his sentence.

"I'm sorry if the need to keep on my girlfriend's good side presides over your need to talk about ex-wife number 45. God that sounds weird. Girlfriend. Huh…" House seemed to go off into his own world after nearly biting Wilson's head off just moments earlier.

Wilson looked stunned. "What happened this morning?"

"A little of this, a little of that. Mostly an argument." House shrugged nonchalantly, though his internal battle was the direct opposite of calm.

"A huge, loud one, if my sources tell me right."

"Ahh, yes. I forgot. You like to gossip with the gossipy nurses down on second floor."

"House…"

"Okay, fine. I'll cancel with Allison and we'll go gossip about the hot new nurse who just got a boob job."

Wilson just rolled his eyes as House paged Cameron to tell her that he wasn't going to make their lunch date. Neither of them had anyway of knowing how much trepidation that message put into her heart.

xXx

_He's canceling. What does that mean? He said he loved me. Does he regret it?_ As much as she tried not to dwell on it, all she could think about was the canceled lunch date. It was now 1:30 and lunch was now long over and she realized that she wasn't even hungry. She felt more sick to her stomach than anything else since the page and she had decided to forgo lunch. Taking a swig of water from her bottle, she shook her head and forced the thoughts to the back of her mind, focusing instead on the patient unconscious on the gurney being pushed in through the door. She rushed to the patient's side and started checking for any lesions, broken bones, or the whatnot. "What happened?" She questioned the paramedics.

"Car accident. This was the driver of the car that got hit. The passenger is coming, though she's going to be just fine. He's going to need immediate surgery."

"What about the driver of the other car?" She questioned anxiously.

"Drove off before anyone could grab the license plate number. Not your typical hit-and-run, if you ask me."

Cameron shook her head and called to the ER doctors. "We need a crash cart just in case and a surgical team immediately. This one's torn up pretty badly."

The ER doctors took over and Cameron turned around to assist with the passenger of the car. "Okay, dear, I need you to take a seat…Mallory? Mallory Daniels?"

"What?" The woman snapped before taking a closer look at the doctor she was talking to. "Oh my god, Allison!"

There was no mistaking that voice combined with the curly red hair. Cameron was shocked. "What the hell are you doing in Princeton?"

"Taking a damn vacation. Dumb ass husband of mine didn't see the other car and…"

"The other car drove off after hitting you, I heard."

"Yeah. Bastard ran a red light and Dave didn't see him." She gasped softly. "Oh my god, Dave. Where is he? He's going to be okay, right?"

Cameron shook her head. "We don't know. He's in surgery right now."

"It's my fault." The other woman sobbed. "I insisted on coming down and surprising you. I haven't seen you since college, and…"

"It's not your fault!" Cameron shook her friend slightly. "It happens. Just because it happened here on a trip that you insisted upon doesn't make it your fault."

"Where is my husband?" Mallory asked, ignoring Cameron completely.

"In surgery."

"Where can I wait for him?"

"You need to get checked out first. Just to make sure you're okay."

Mallory let Allison lead her down to an examination room where she just sat staring at the wall blankly letting the doctor do her job.

"You're fine. Just some minor cuts and bruises, but you'll be just fine."

"Can I go see my husband now?"

"Sorry, no." Cameron said regretfully. "He's most likely not out yet, and even if he was, they wouldn't let you close yet." She thought for a moment before hesitantly extending an offer. "Do you want to come and stay with me?"

"No, I'll stay here with him. As soon as he's stable, if he's ever stable, I'll transfer him to the hospital back at home."

Cameron nodded understandingly. "Well if you change your mind, you know my number."

Mallory waved her hand distractedly. "Yes, I do." She sighed. "Go home, Allison. I can't handle your hovering." She put up a hand at Cameron's protesting. "If you're any where close to the same way you were during residency, I don't want nor do I need that type of hovering. Go home and leave me alone."

Cameron nodded calmly and walked off, though her mind was far from calm. _Great. My friend from residency is mad at me, Greg is mad at me, and from the looks of what's happening outside, it might rain later. Could this day get _any_ worse?_

Turns out, the day could get worse. She went up to the diagnostics department to try and find House only to find that the office was completely empty. A quick glance into Wilson's office revealed the oncologist on the phone talking urgently with who she presumed was Julie. A small smile at Wilson and she was on her way down to the lab to see if House was actually working for once. Not surprisingly, he wasn't there. Nor was he in the clinic, though she wasn't actually expecting him to have been there all day, despite Cuddy's insistence that he be there. Checking back down at the ER to see if Mallory was still there, she discovered that her friend had already transferred her husband to the hospital in Ohio. With a forlorn sigh, she gathered her belongings from the office and headed down to her car to head home.

xXx

Little did Cameron know, House watched as she left the hospital, his heart unnaturally heavy with regret. He stood on the roof looking out over the city of Princeton. Turned out that all Wilson really wanted to talk about was House's growing relationship with Cameron, which House had no intention of discussing with his friend. Wilson had eventually given up and headed back to his office with no more information than he had sat down with and House sat at the table staring at his half-eaten Reuben, debating whether or not to page Cameron to have her come eat with him.

Instead, he threw away the leftovers from lunch and slowly made his way to the stairs. He needed to think, and in order to do so he needed to get away from the hospital. However, Cuddy would know if he actually left, so he decided to go to the next best place: the roof.

_Probably shouldn't have canceled. Not the wisest move I've done. And now she's probably worried herself sick wondering if I'm regretting the whole thing. Am I?_ Now _there_ was the hundred dollar question. A moment of pondering the thought passed before he shook his head. _Nope. I'm more than happy with how things are progressing. Well, I was._ His lips drew into a thin line as he realized what he very well could have done. After all of Wilson's warnings, he very well could have just sabotaged his last chance of a real relationship with a woman that actually wanted him. He knew what he had to do to save it, he just wasn't sure he was strong enough to do it.

xXx

_Rain. Why does it always rain on the days something horrible happens?_ Cameron griped inwardly as she stepped into her car at the end of the day. It had rained the day her husband died, it had rained during his funeral, and it rained the day she left Baltimore to come here, it rained the day her childhood best friend died. Rain was just a bad omen.

When she walked into her apartment, the immunologist was slightly surprised to see her answering machine blinking. With slight trepidation, she pushed play.

_Alli-bear, I have an apology to make. That was me on your voicemail last night. I'm sorry if I scared you, which I'm sure I did. I realize that Joe has been stalking you and I realized later that my joke would not have had the appropriate affect that I was looking for. _

There was a pause and Cameron started to laugh lightly. She should have guessed that it was Allyn who called last night.

_And now you're probably laughing. At me. Gorramit, Al. _A sigh. _Oh well, I suppose I should expect you to be laughing at me; it's what you've done your whole ruttin' life. Oh, reason for my language, I was…GORRAMNIT, MINDY! STOP BITING MY LEG! Sorry, sis. That dumb dog mom bought me for my birthday ( you remember that little pipsqueak right?) thinks that my leg is her new chew toy. Anyway, as I was saying, I was watching…NO MINDY, THAT IS NOT FOR YOU TO EAT! I came across Firefly playing on the Sci-Fi channel as I was channel surfing and naturally thought of you and how you decided that it would be funny to start insulting me in Chinese. I'll get you back for that, I swear._

There was another pause as the sounds of rustling and grumbling passed through the speakers.

_I gotta run, Bear. That dumb dog I mentioned has just ripped apart my groceries. I should've named her Pest. MINDY, NO! Bye sis!_

At the sound of the dial tone, Allison burst out laughing. Tears were starting to pool in the corners of her eyes as she laughed. Her brother was a total crack up sometimes. And even though he meant the phone call as a joke, she had some words for him for making her worry all last night and today.

She walked into her bedroom to change into some grey loose-fitting sweatpants and a mint green spaghetti strap shirt. She padded back into the kitchen to grab the cordless phone before settling down on her overstuffed chair.

Dialing a number she knew from memory, she waited until she heard a sheepish 'Hey Bear' before she calmly started speaking. "I'll have you know, brother-mine, that I passed out when I heard your message."

"Oh my god, Allie. I am so sorry!" Allyn sounded freaked. "Why the hell did you pass out? Usually you laugh and call me back, calling me a bastard and many other horrid names in many different languages."

She proceeded to tell him the story of how Joe showed up at her apartment then her work and how he got arrested by the hospital security.

"'Bout time that bastard got what he deserved." Allyn grumbled. "Did you know that he's been calling me at least twice a day to ask if I've talked to you at all?"

"Wouldn't surprise me, Allyn, wouldn't surprise me in the slightest."

"Do you have to give a statement?"

"I thought I would, but the police haven't called me yet, so I'm going to assume that I don't."

"Careful with that, Bear. You know what assuming does. It makes…"

"…an ass out of 'u' and 'me'." Cameron finished with a roll of her eyes that her brother could hear in her voice.

There was a lengthy pause before Allyn spoke again, this time gleefully. "So, how's your boss, Dr. House, doing?"

"Greg is fine." She grinned.

"Ooooh, so it's Greg now, is it? I take that to mean that things are going well for you and him? Is my little sister going to become Allison House soon?"

"I'm five minutes younger, Squid, that's it. Things are going as well as can be and that would be a no probably not on the Allison House part."

"Is he there? I wanna speak to him." He sounded _way_ to eager to speak to House in Cameron's opinion.

"He…isn't." She said with a slight tone of sadness.

"Uh oh. I heard that tone change. What happened?"

"Nothing exciting. Just an argument. I'm being transferred to a different department because of my relationship with him. It was either that, or Dr. Cuddy would have had to fire me."

"Cuddy…Oh, that's the evil boss lady who Greg keeps tormenting daily, right?"

Cameron laughed. "You mean to say that you actually pay attention to what I tell you during our conversations?"

"Of course!" He sounded wounded. "I always pay attention to my twin. It's that connection we have, remember?"

"I can't forget it, Allyn." She said dryly. She heard the door bell ring and she sighed. "I'll call you tomorrow night, Al. Someone's at the door."

"Alright, sister-mine. I love you."

"Love you too, Allyn."

Cameron walked over and opened the door to reveal a rain-drenched House. "Yes?" She asked tiredly, trying to keep her voice neutral all the while fighting the urge to grin at his disheveled appearance.

"I'm a bastard." His voice was low and gravely and he looked her up and down with a soft look in his eyes when he took in what she was wearing.

She smiled then, though it didn't quite reach her eyes. "I know, and I've never expected any thing different from you. In fact, I should've expected it. I'm sorry for overreacting."

His gaze was soft and a hint of a smirk tugged at his lips; it was both unnerving and calming at the same time.

"Good." he murmured, leaning ever so slightly closer.

"Good?" she asked, a little confused, her eyes searching his. Her heart beat faster as she watched him move closer and tilt his head ever so slightly. She parted her lips and took in a breath, almost able to taste him he was so close.

"Hmm." he said drawing closer still, "Fantastic, even."

"Really?" She asked a suspicious look on her face.

"Really." His voice rumbled before he close the distance between them and brought his lips to hers in a tender kiss that brought tears to her eyes. "I love you." He said softly, pulling back enough to peer into her eyes.

The tears flowed at his declaration. "And I love you." She smiled then bringing her hand up to brush lightly at the scruff on his chin.

There was a tender light in his eyes when he smoothed back her hair with his rough, large hand. "I'm sorry." He said finally. "I shouldn't have canceled."

"I know." Her fingers brushed his lips and she smiled when he nibbled at them before kissing each tip. "And it's okay."

"No, I mean I'm sorry for everything. For earlier today, for the past three years…" He sighed. "…just for everything."

"Greg." She kissed him lightly and pulled back before he could respond. "I love you. Nothing is going to change that."

He didn't respond with words. She giggled as he peppered light kisses along her jaw line until he met her lips in a searing kiss that she felt all the way down to her toes. _Rain isn't_ always_ a bad omen._ She decided as she pulled him into her apartment, never breaking the kiss.

However, when they were safely inside the apartment on her couch, he broke away briefly. "You sure about this? Because if we don't stop now…"

She stopped him with a gentle kiss that sent a wave of heat through his body. "Greg, I have never been more sure of anything in my entire life. I want you now. I've wanted you since I first saw you."

House needed no more convincing as he took off his coat and chucked it haphazardly onto her couch. With a leering grin, he dove for her lips while gently pushing on her shoulder to lay her down. She wrapped one arm around his neck and the other slid down his back to the top of his jeans. His hands weren't still either as they explored her willing body eagerly.

Ten minutes of intense, teenage-like making out on the couch passed before House pulled away from her now swollen lips. "Bedroom?" He asked breathlessly, his eyes dark with passion.

"Bedroom." She agreed, her eyes just as dark with the lust she was feeling course through her body. It felt like her entire body was on fire. They clambered off the couch and House followed her down to the bedroom, grabbing his orange vial from his coat.

Popping two vicodin, he hung his cane on the bedroom door handle and limped quietly up behind her. Grabbing her around the waist, he jumped onto the bed, taking her startled but giggling form with him. She pushed up, practically straddling him, and grinned at him, her hair slowly falling around her face like a curtain closing. With a gentle smile reserved only for her, he reached up and tucked her hair behind her ears. Their eyes smoldered for what seemed like hours until she leaned down and brushed his lips with hers.

He rolled over suddenly, breaking the contact she initiated, and moved his way from kissing her forehead down to her nose, checks, and finally barely teasing her lips with his. She moaned and grabbed his neck, trying to deepen the kiss, but he resisted, instead moving to her neck where he proceeded to nip and lick at the tender skin there. She could feel his smirk as she gasped at the sensations that flooded through body in a wave of fire. She was ready and he knew it. But true to his nature, he continued to torment her body in ways that left her whimpering and begging for the full contact.

When he finally did relent and gave in to what they both were wanting, it was almost more than either she or he could both bear. And when they both laid there, limbs tangled together, fully sated, House realized that for the first time in his life, he was content to just hold her while she dozed off, her head on his chest, without wanting to run away screaming.

What he didn't quite realize was that tonight was the night that everything had changed for them.

xXx

AN: And there's chapter 17. The chapters just keep growing…in length and sappiness, though I didn't write any smut. It was close…but no cigar. Tell me if it gets too OOC, alright? Not that the beginning was at all in character. Can any of you HONESTLY see _any_ of them dancing down the halls singing unless they were really, _really_ drunk? Nope. But it _was_ fun to write! (huge grin)

However…the next chapter will be late in coming. There is a whole lot of medical stuff that I have to look up and write. It's a very meticulous process. So I thank you all ahead of time for your patience. I'm also going to re-write some of the first few chapters. So there aren't going to be any new chapters until I finish that and I'm not planning on that taking too long. So read each of the chapters as they are redone and the new chapter will be up soon after. Later all!


	18. Illness, Talks, and Love

Story Title: Touch of Destiny

Chapter 18: Illness, Talks, and Love

Chapter summery: Something happens to a doctor of ours. Only problem is, why?

xXx

**DON'T FORGET TO RE-READ CHAPTERS 1, 2, 3, 12, AND 15 **_**BEFORE**_** YOU READ THIS CHAPTER!!!!!**

Disclaimer: Not mine, unless you don't recognize a character. Then it is mine, and you shouldn't take it.

AN: So this chapter was not so much fun to write, at least all the medical stuff. I hate for stuff to be incorrect, so I tried to make this as correct as possible.

Warning! OOC House towards Cameron from here on out! Yes, he'll still be sarcastic as all get out towards everyone else, but he'll be different towards Cameron…though hopefully not sickeningly so…ya'll will be dears and let me know if that happens, right?

xXx

ShipperCrazed – FanFicCrazy: Yay! He _is_ learning! I love it. Glad you liked the chapter!

HouseCam63: I'm glad they made up too!

Obsessedwithstabler: Sorry…I don't write smut. I'm VERY bad at it. Lol. And I hate the movie too, but I love the musical Wicked…lol

DarkFire77: Well I'm glad you like the story!

Morganka: Sorry it took so long! Here's the chapter!

whoKMH: I'm glad some of your questions were answered, and I'm sorry about the fact that there _were_ questions. Though, I suppose some mystery is great in a story. And I'm glad you liked the chapter!

This-Family-Affair: Lol! I was actually afraid that the part with them all singing wasn't going to be taken well. I'm glad you liked it.

KyGirl03: Gotta love SVU. I'm glad you're happy with the chapter! I am too!

saz89: I'm adding some of the plot in earlier chapters, and in the rest of them I'm editing them. Some of them have HORRIBLE errors.

house-jules-potc: THANK YOU! I need someone to point those sorts of mistakes out to me. Lol.

Becky: I'm glad I am a source of entertainment for someone from Argentina. I have had a ton of fun writing most parts of this, though some of it is rather obnoxious…like the medical stuff.

SeriouslyJess: I love your stories! And I'm glad you found mine. And I'm glad you like it!

Vands88: I'm glad that you like the medical stuff. I hate it when people don't put it in their stories. After all, it _is_ a medical show. Lol. And I'm glad you like my story! I try hard to make the writing good, and it's a real treat to hear someone call it 'brilliant!' Don't forget to re-read the reposted chapters to get added stuff!

Sweetgreuy: More…just as you ordered m'dear. Enjoy!

SilvaK: Nope, can't see them dancing, but it sure as heck was hilarious to imagine it. Hehe! And yeah, the cryptic comment at the end won't be addressed for a couple of chapters…

xXx

The mysterious man was looking forward to another day, surprisingly enough. As he lay in bed willing his body to move so he could take a shower, he mulled over all that had happened in the past few months. He had given up on the fact that Cameron would grow tired of House and his ways and come back to him but he hadn't given up on making either of their lives miserable.

So far, it had worked and no one suspected that it was him. Of course, getting Cameron shot was never part of his plan, but the incompetent bastard he had hired couldn't tell the difference between a man and a woman. He had specifically been told that Dr. House was the tall lanky brunette. Then again, with Cameron sitting down it was hard to tell if she was tall or not, and she was a brunette.

Getting a hold of Joe was easy. When he and Cameron were having their fling, she had told him all about her previous relationship with the other man. He had, in a rare moment of forward thinking, had dug through her address book while she was at the store to find the phone number of the man. Though, once again, it was never in his plan for him to try and rape her at the hospital. God, all the people that he had used were complete morons.

It was high time for his personal intervention after too many months of failure.

"Is this Dr. Cuddy, from the Princeton Plainsboro Teaching Hospital…?"

xXx

"Ahhh, yes. This is just one of the many joys of having a woman in your kitchen. Or in my case, in _her_ kitchen." House took in a deep breath, relishing in the smell of freshly brewed coffee and placed his hands firmly on Cameron's hips. She smiled up at him and he gave a half-grin back before kissing her lips lightly. She turned back towards making the coffee and he propped his chin on the top of her head, allowing his hands to slide across her belly to wrap around her slim waist, effectively holding her tightly against him. "This is the other one." He kissed her temple lightly and inhaled her freshly showered sent. "Mmmmm, you smell absolutely edible."

"It's probably my shampoo, which, I am sad to say, is not edible. This, however…" She pointed to a piece of toast on a plate. "…is edible. And I suggest that you eat it before we head into work."

He unwillingly released his hold on her and reached for the plate. "Before _you_ head into work, you mean." House corrected around a mouthful of toast. "I can't ruin my image by being too early."

"No, that would be just tragic." Cameron rolled her eyes but smiled at him nonetheless.

"It would!" He insisted. "And besides, I refuse to show up to work wearing the same exact thing I did yesterday."

"Of course not. That would be considered to be a lack of hygiene, which, however, comes naturally to most of the male population of this world."

"Naturally. Though I tend to defy the norm."

"True. So I suppose you won't want to shower, like most human beings do in the morning. And like _you_ should." She added, moving towards the living room.

"I resent the fact that you are hinting that I stink." House mock-glared at her before giving her a leering smirk. "Any chance of aiding me in bathing?"

Cameron gave him a long look before smiling slyly. "I'll have to pass on that. However, I will insure that you will _want_ to bathe." She moved towards him slowly, her smile growing larger at the obvious affect her words and motions were having on him.

"I think I can handle that." He managed to get out before she pushed him into a chair and kissing him breathless.

It was 10 minutes later that Cameron finally left her apartment to go to work, a huge grin on her face and a very sated boyfriend making his way lazily to her shower.

xXx

House parked his motorcycle in his handicapped parking space and whistled a nameless tune as he whipped off his gloves and shoved them into his shoulder bag. Hanging his helmet over one of the handlebars, he shouldered his computer bag, unclipped his cane from the side of the bike, and sauntered his way into the hospital, the whistle never ceasing.

"Good morning, Brenda." House picked out a green sucker from the jar and pointed it at her before sticking it in his mouth. "You look different this morning." He scrutinized what he could see of her as if to figure out what he was seeing different.

She was sitting in her chair, phone in her hand like she was picking it up to dial a number, her jaw was dropped and House could swear that she wasn't breathing. He snapped his fingers a couple of times to bring her out of her stupor. "Brenda, breath." He ordered before smacking his cane on the desk, making her jump. "Thaaat's better."

"Good morning Dr. House." Brenda was finally able to speak. "Are you…?"

"Your hair, that's what's different." House interrupted. "No, wait. It's your face! Plastic surgery. No? Wait, let me guess. You're shell-shocked by something? What happened? Did you see a bear on your way to work?"

"No, no, nothing like that." She managed a slight glare through her shock. "It's just that…you're happy. Yesterday, you were dancing down the halls with your fellows and Dr. Wilson _singing_ and today you're whistling. Might I ask what has put you in such a mood?"

House grinned mockingly. "You might ask and I might ignore you." He mentally gave himself a pat on the back for confusing the head nurse royally and headed towards the elevator.

"Dr. House!"

_How is it no matter what time I come in, Cuddy manages to find me?_

House rolled his eyes skyward and turned around. "Sorry, Dr. House is not open for business. He will be closed for the next eternity for a random type vacation of his choosing."

"Not buying that today, House. I have a case for you." Cuddy had on her serious face and the tone of her voice insinuated that this was important to her. She held out a folder to House with a look that he read to mean that he'd better take it or else.

House scrutinized her carefully before a half smirk crossed his face. "This person must either be _related _to someone who donates an ass-load of money to your hospital or _is_ someone who donates a…"

"It's Dr. Chase." She interrupted him with a slight huff.

"What's Dr. Chase? A huge donator? Why doesn't that surprise me…?" House tucked his cane under his shoulder before taking the folder and opening it. Scanning the contents, his eyebrows shot up. "Oh. _This_ is Dr. Chase." He looked up to see Cuddy clicking off into her office. He frowned and looked back at the folder. "Hmm. Interesting. Very interesting."

He limped into the elevator and gave Brenda a wide eyed expression. "I have a girlfriend." He said in a very loud whisper. He smirked as the doors closed on her astonished expression. It faded as he thought over the contents of the file. "So..." He muttered as he pushed the button for the patient floors and turned to the other person in the elevator and glared at her. "Let's talk."

She met his glare with one of her own and proceeded to ignore him.

"You know, you aren't going to last long in this job if you ignore your boss." When she didn't reply he frowned deeply. "Follow me." The doors opened and the pair exited silently.

He strode down the hall as a man with a mission, the girl following close behind. He poked his head into Chase's room and smiled at him, giving the girl a hidden motion to remain in the hall. He mentally applauded himself when Chase gave him a frightened expression and he sauntered into the room.

"Now, my poor sick duckling. What has put that horrified expression on your face?" House asked in a faux patient voice.

"Firstly, you smiled…at me. Secondly, I see two of you, which means both of you smiled at me." Chase shuddered. "Is that any surprise?"

"Is what a surprise?" House pulled the sucker out of his mouth and cocked his head to the side. "Oh, is seeing two of me a surprise. No, it's a very good thing, Dr. Chase."

"Shut up, House." Chase snarled grumpily. "I was talking about you smiling. Just figure out what's wrong with me, okay? Treat me like any other patient."

"I smile." House protested half-heartedly before he nodded. "Okay." He held his hand out and spoke in a loud voice. "Be healed, yon idiot!" At Chase's glare, he became professional. "Okay then Chuck, go ahead and stand for me."

"What?"

"Stand. Now." House ordered with a wave of his hand.

Chase shook his head and slowly moved to his feet. He frowned. "I can't move my leg."

House perked up. "Which one?" He moved to feel Chase's joints.

"The left." Chase gasped at the sharp paint that shot through his leg when House gently pushed on the knee, forcing Chase to sit.

"Toes are cold." House muttered and frowned. "How's your head? Are you dizzy, seeing spots, any of that?"

"I'm a little dizzy." The intensivist said reluctantly with a slight groan. "But nothing horribly serious."

"Catch." House suddenly whirled around and tossed his vicodin bottle at Chase who reached up to catch it only to find it had hit his face already.

"Fascinating. You're a worse catch than before." House turned and left just as randomly as he entered, leaving behind a confused, yet intrigued Chase.

"Why did you make me wait in the hall?" The girl asked him.

"Chase can't see you yet." He said conspiratorially. "He'll go vampirish on you and kill you."

She rolled her eyes and followed him down to his office where he motioned for her once again to stay at the door. What she didn't realize was House was being half-serious about Chase going nuts when he figured out who she was replacing.

xXx

"Good morning, kiddies. Daddy has a brand new and highly exciting case for you."

House limped into the diagnostics department, the door hitting the opposite wall with a bang. He dropped the file on the table in front of Foreman as he passed by to sit on the desk the three shared. "Or, rather, Daddy has a new case for Mommy and the kiddy. The reason that kiddy is single is because…"

"This file is for Chase." Foreman interrupted, tossing the file to Cameron.

House pulled a "duh" expression. "But that's not the reason there's only one kiddy. I'm glad you can read, Foreman. I was afraid that being from the hood would have stunted that part of your 'ejication.' Yes, Chase is our new case." He looked up, his nose wrinkled as he thought. "Cameron, would you rather be referred to as Mommy or as one of the kiddies?"

"Why do we have Chase as our latest case?" Cameron ignored him pointedly as she frowned over the folder.

"Because I like strange cases. Answer the question, dear." He mocked lightly.

"Neither." She rolled her eyes and continued to examine the folder.

"Sorry, not an option." He gave her a look out of the corner of his eye. "Chose again."

"Then I don't care. Now can we get back to Chase?" She looked at him, annoyed.

"Okay, Mommy it is. It would be so weird to call my girlfriend one of the 'kiddies', unless of course we were in Alabama, which we're not. We're in the wonderful land of Jersey."

"House!" Foreman and Cameron groaned in unison.

"Okay, okay! Sheesh." He motioned to the door where a woman was standing watching the exchange with obvious annoyance. "First off, meet our new doctor, Kate Johnston. As I'm sure you know, Foreman, when Dr. Cuddy found out about me and Cameron, she insisted that I find either another doctor to replace Cameron or break up with her."

"She made _you_ choose!?" Cameron interrupted in disbelief. "The way I remember it…"

House glared at her as he interrupted her tirade. "…seeing as I hate to ruin one of the few good relationships that I actually have managed to keep, I chose to hire a new doctor, as long as Cuddy did the interviews. The wicked witch wouldn't let me bring Allison with me, so I sat in on all 1 of them last night and chose her." House tilted his head to the side and shook his head in a mock sadness. "Since Chase is sick, I'm sorry, Cameron, but you don't get to leave yet. Once we cure Chase, then you can have your nice office in the immunology department. So meet the newest duckling."

"Good morning." Kate nodded politely and walked into the room, taking a seat in one of the empty chairs and picking up the folder, thumbing absentmindedly through the papers inside.

Foreman and Cameron nodded their greetings before turning their attention to House.

House snatched the pen from its place on the whiteboard and wrote "Dr. Chase the Second" at the top of the board, writing down the symptoms as he listed them. "Differential diagnosis, peoples. His joints are swollen and painful. He is also dizzy, tired, his coordination is shot to hell, he is seeing two of me instead of one, which is _bad_ by the way, and he can't move left leg and the toes are cold. Ideas?"

"It could be Lyme disease." Cameron frowned as she thought through the symptoms.

"Maybe." House mused, writing _Lyme disease_ on the board. "It covers fatigue, aches, joint pain, and the lack of coordination, but not the numbness of the leg, dizziness, and vision. Anything else?"

"Multiple sclerosis." Foreman suggested with a shrug.

"Numbness of the leg, double vision, lack of coordination, fatigue, joint pain. Good." House wrote it down. "What else?" When no one said anything, he waved at them, annoyed. "C'mon, people, think!"

"Scleroderma." Cameron put forward another idea, racking her brain for any thing that would remotely fit.

"Only explains the leg and arthritis like conditions." House shook his head, tapping the pen on the board.

"Vasculitis?" Foreman this time.

"Fever, fatigue, joint pain. It doesn't completely fit, but we'll try it." House said distractedly. He stepped back and frowned. "What about the coordination?"

Cameron shrugged. "Could be explained by the fatigue. When a person is sleep deprived…"

House interrupted Cameron. "They lose coordination, I get it. Okay. Test for Lyme disease, Vasculitis and Multiple sclerosis. Let me know what you find. Cameron, teach Johnston the ropes. Foreman, go be a vampire. I'll be here, unless Cuddy finds me and forces me into the clinic. Johnston, you've been too quiet. You going to be okay with this job, or are we going too fast for you?"

Kate just gave House a look that said 'drop dead.' "I'm fine, Dr. House. A couple more sessions like this and I think I'll get the hang of it." Her tone left no room for argument and House eyed her with immense dislike.

Cameron and Foreman exchanged knowing looks before standing, Kate standing with them a half a second behind. Foreman headed to Chase's room while Cameron and Kate headed down the hall to the lab. "I'll show you the lab before we start." Cameron said, pushing open the door. "It's not that complicated."

"Okay, look. It's Dr. Cameron, right?" At the affirmative nod, Kate narrowed her eyes slightly. "I'm an immunologist. Not an intern who's never seen the inside of a hospital before today. I know how a lab works."

Cameron just smiled. "That's good to know. But since you are new to_ this_ hospital, and I've been here for three years, I am entitled to show you the ropes, as Dr. House asked me to."

"I am a doctor." Kate insisted, pulling herself to her full height, which was all of five foot even. "I can guarantee that I know what I'm doing!" She gave Cameron a glare that had worked on all previous people who had gotten in her way.

Cameron just shook her head slightly. "If you think that a glare is going to make me back down, think again, Johnston. I've been working for Dr. House for almost 4 years. It's going to take a whole lot more from you to make me quiver in my shoes."

The smirk on Cameron's face worried Kate slightly and she frowned slightly. "Nevertheless, I refuse to be treated any less than the dignified doctor that I am."

Cameron figured that all Kate needed to do was stomp her foot to make herself look the full part of a defiant three-year-old. "Johnston, let me inform you of something. In order to receive respect, you first have to prove that you deserve it. I have not seen any behavior so far that would warrant such respect, and I am positive that Dr. House would agree with me. It took the three of us currently working for him over two years to get him to respect us as doctors. I can guarantee you that it won't be much different with you." She didn't bother telling Kate that House already didn't like her. "You want to be referred to as a doctor. Earn the title."

Foreman walked in before Kate could make a retort. "Got the blood. Hope it's enough for all the bloody tests we have to do."

"That was a good one, Foreman. Bloody. Very creative. I hope you didn't waste any brain cells coming up with that one." Cameron rolled her eyes, sighed, and turned towards the table. "Let's go. Johnston, since you know so much about the lab, why don't you go ahead and do the ELISA test for Lyme and if it's positive, do the Blot Test."

"Yes, Dr. Cameron." Kate grated out and set to work, determined to prove herself to the other doctors.

"Foreman, for the Vasculitis, check…"

"Cameron, I know the procedure. I'll check the erythrocyte sedimentation rate. If it's positive, I'll do a biopsy. I might even look at his urine." The corner of his mouth lifted and he set to doing his tests.

She shook her head with a small grin attached to her face and set to work on her blood tests for multiple sclerosis, hoping that her tests wouldn't show up positive. If it did, she'd have to do a biopsy to make sure, but even then, MS would most likely end his career. Then again, so would almost any of the diseases they were testing for.

xXx

"So, what are the results?"

The four doctors were once again sitting, or standing in House's case, in front of the white board. Foreman spoke first.

"Ereythrocyte sedimentation rate was normal so no Vasculitis."

House nodded, crossing_ Vasculitis_ off the list. "Cameron?"

She shook her head. "No MS. Everything was either normal or negative."

He crossed off _MS_ and turned to Kate. "Johnston, I'm going to assume that you didn't screw up any of your tests."

"Not Lyme."

"That's all you have to say?" House fixed an unmoving stare on the youngest doctor that had her shifting in her seat. "You aren't going to insist by saying, 'I didn't screw up any of the tests, Dr. House. Please show me your appreciation by doing unmentionable things to me.'" He stopped when Cameron shot him a look that said 'shut it or your not getting any for the next week.'

Foreman rolled his eyes. "She screwed up the first test but when the blot test showed negative, she grew agitated. I think she would have thrown something if Cameron hadn't stopped her and made her redo the first test."

"So it's not Lyme." Kate glared at Foreman, which was a short-lived glare at the tone House used next.

"If you can't do a test, have another doctor do it. The last thing we need is an incompetent doctor screwing up every test she does." He turned to Cameron. "Do all the tests for Johnston from here on out. Make sure she watches so she knows how to work each and every machine." He pointed at Kate with his cane. "Screw up again and you're gone. I can't afford the time to treat you like a first year med student."

Kate nodded briskly, all the while trying to keep from crying. She had heard of how blunt and harsh Dr. House was, but nothing could have prepared her for actually experiencing it.

Cameron felt somewhat sympathetic towards the younger doctor but didn't let it show. House was right. The last thing the department needed was someone who couldn't handle the job. She looked up when House sighed as he crossed off _Lyme_.

"Okay…" He blew air through his lips making a puff sound and frowned. "Give him an MRI, CT scan, do a spinal tap to check for meningitis, and whatever tests you can think of to test for Cameron's scleroderma just for fun."

Cameron looked confused. "But you said…"

"Just covering all the bases." House interrupted her impatiently. "Now go, my minions. Fix the broken duckling."

When the three left the department, he headed into his office. Instead of flipping on his Game boy like they would have expected, he collapsed into his chair and rubbed his hands over his face. He may not like Chase, but he doesn't hate him. Yes, Chase was annoying, a worthless doctor, and had prettier hair than House did, but even he didn't deserve to have a disease that no one could figure out.

xXx

"So why are we going through all these tests?"

Chase was being prepped for the MRI machine and he wasn't too thrilled about being shoved into the claustrophobia-inducing machine. It was one thing to give the scan; it was another story to be given the scan.

Cameron didn't look at him when she answered, focusing instead on setting the machine. "Because House wants to cover all the bases. Lay still, Chase. You should know how this works."

"Doesn't mean I like it." He muttered, grunting as Foreman secured the strap over his forehead. "I still see two of each of you, just so you know."

"There's a scary thought." Foreman smirked. "Two of me? But two of Cameron is nice, isn't it?"

Cameron shot Foreman a look that said 'drop dead' and Forman just winked at her. With a roll of her eyes, she moved into the booth, letting Foreman finish prepping Chase. "Okay, Chase, we have a new doctor with us."

"Is she cute?"

"Does it matter?"

"No, I'm just claustrophobic is all. Keeps my mind off of what's to come."

With an annoyed look, she sighed and spoke into the mike. "She's a red head. Green eyes, curly red hair, and freckles."

Johnston was slightly shocked. Dr. Cameron was revealing such information to a patient? She grew offended with Chase's next comment.

"So, not as pretty as you, huh?"

"I'm taken, Chase, incase whatever is wrong with you has caused you to forget that simple bit of information." Cameron rolled her eyes to Foreman's grin who had walked into the booth in time to hear Chase's comment. "Now lie still. We're starting the test."

Deep breath. "Okay."

A few taps on the computer screen and the machine started clicking. Foreman and Cameron were staring intently at the monitor while Johnston was stuck watching Chase to make sure he was okay.

"See anything yet?" Foreman said quietly.

Cameron shook her head. "Nothing unusual, unless you count the fact that there actually _is_ a brain in his skull. House will be so shocked."

Foreman snorted a laugh and continued to scan the images popping up on the screen. "Wait, pause it there." He pointed to a small dark spot on the screen. "What's that?"

Cameron studied the spot and grimaced slightly. "Print a copy of it. We'll show House. It could be something, it could be nothing. Keep going on the scan."

The scan went through and they printed out three more suspicious spots before sending Kate to pull Chase out of the machine. Cameron took the scans and the folder and followed Foreman out of the door.

The moment they were out of earshot of the new doctor, the neurologist turned to the immunologist. "Shouldn't we be _teaching_ her how to work everything instead of making her do the intern part of the job?"

"Probably, but I'm not going to risk having her screw up the MRI. I don't have the time to teach her, and it's not my job to baby-sit." Cameron said passionately. "I can't believe that House would agree to hire someone so…"

"Calm down, Allison." Foreman rarely called her by name inside the hospital and it made her tirade halt. He continued calmly. "Remember how you were when you first started? Hell, how _any_ of us were when we first started? She'll work out. We just need to give her time."

Cameron smiled. "Thank-you for that, Eric." She took a deep breath and sighed lightly. "I needed that reminder of how far I've come along."

"Well, duh you've come far." Foreman snorted. "Look at you; you're going to be the head of Immunology as soon as Chase is all better. Me? I have to wait a year until the head of Neurology retires."

"He's old, maybe he'll have a heart attack before the year is up and you'll get to step in sooner." Cameron teased, making Foreman laugh out loud. They disappeared into the CT scanner room just as Kate wheeled Chase out of the MRI room.

xXx

"Alright, Robert, if you'll please sit up slowly." Kate instructed after all the straps had been removed and the wheel chair was situated next to the machine.

Chase eyed her nervously before sitting up. "Who the hell are you?" He blurted out before he could stop himself.

The woman bristled visibly. "I am Dr. Johnston. Now, if you would please…"

"Ah, Allison's replacement." Chase nodded knowingly. "Figures House would hire a woman." His mind was mentally growling at the newcomer, and it was not in a friendly manner.

"Mr. Chase, I need you to…"

"Let me clear something up, Johnston." Chase interrupted her again. "First off, I am _Dr._ Chase and I work for Dr. House. Secondly, since I've worked here for almost four years, I know how everything works. I know how to sit in a wheelchair." To prove his point, he hoisted himself off of the bench and into the chair. "I'm going to guess now that since House is 'covering all the bases', I am scheduled to get a CT scan. Do you have any idea where that is?"

She stiffened indignantly. "Of course I…" She paused, thinking, before continuing somewhat sheepishly. "Well, actually, I don't."

Chase smiled at her somewhat pleasantly. "Out the door, down the hall. The room for the CT scanner is at the end of the hall. I'll let you know if you make a wrong turn."

She opened the door and wheeled Chase out into the hall. Looking both ways, she saw Cameron and Foreman disappear into a room which she assumed was the CT scanner. With a determined look on her face, she pushed towards the room down the hall.

"Whoa, whoa!" Chase protested, gripping the armrests. "Not to fast. There isn't a fire, and I'm still dizzy which means I'm more likely to puke."

"Sorry Dr. Chase." She muttered, slowing her pace down considerably. She pushed open the door and Chase wheeled himself into the room.

"Foreman, I'm ready for my next pointless test!" Chase announced as he wheeled further into the room. "Strap me in."

Cameron was fiddling with the machine with a frown. "No CT scan today, sorry." She leaned closer and frowned even deeper. "Unless…" She shook her head and pushed a couple of buttons and re-hooked two wires. "I'm going to kill you, Greg." She muttered under her breath before forcing a smile on her face. "Okay, Chase. Hop up." She patted the bench and held out her hand. "Need help?"

Chase didn't, but he wasn't going to say no. He grasped her hand and hoisted himself onto the bench before laying prone on the uncomfortable surface. "At least this one is open." He mumbled to himself as Foreman strapped him down.

"Same thing, Chase. Don't move!" Foreman ordered before the three other doctors moved into the booth. "Okay, Johnston, this is how this one works." He made her watch as he pushed buttons and clicked on the computer to start the machine and scroll through the pictures. Cameron kept her eyes on the screen to watch Chase and rolled her eyes at the faces he was making at the camera.

"And we're done." Foreman announced finally. "Johnston, get him back to his room and prepare him for a spinal tap. I'm going to get the spinal tap getup. Cameron, take the pictures to House when they're ready."

Cameron nodded and spoke into the mike. "We're done Chase. You can stop the faces."

He adopted an embarrassed look before nodding. "Thank you, Allison." He said sweetly.

"Still taken, Chase." Cameron reminded him before picking up the pictures Foreman had printed and heading back to the diagnostics department. "Still taken."

xXx

House was examining the scans with a frown while Cameron stood slightly behind him, observing him carefully. "Well…" He drawled. "…other than the fact that this proves Chase does indeed _have_ a brain, these tell us nothing."

Cameron shook her head. "I wasn't sure if they meant anything or not. Foreman and I decided to double check with you."

House nodded. "Second opinions are always good." He stared at the scans for a bit in silence. "How's Johnston doing?"

She shrugged. "Fine, I suppose. She's taking Chase back to his room."

"Good."

More silence. Cameron shifted slightly as House kept staring blankly at the scans. "I almost don't want to find the problem." He said softly.

"What?" Cameron was shocked. "Do you hate him that much?"

"No." He finally faced her. "I don't want you to leave that much." He said with a rare, raw honesty coloring his voice. "I know that this is what you've always wanted, to be department head, and I know that it's a great step career-wise for you, but…" He sighed, his voice dropping down so she could barely hear him. "I am going to miss you down here."

"Greg." She sighed softly and took a cautious step towards him. When he didn't step back or turn away, she moved until she was almost touching him. "The time down here with you was amazing and I am going to miss it. But I would miss it even more if we weren't together now. I'll still see you everyday after work if you want, and I'll be available for consults. Besides, you'll have to train Johnston. You won't have time to miss me."

"Au contraire, mon petite." House corrected with a gentled smirk. "I'll miss you even more because you're independent from my watchful eye. You don't have to have me looking over your shoulder to make sure you know your job. Now with this new kid in town…" He reached out and let his arms hang over her shoulders in a loose, almost-hug before bending down and kissing the tip of her nose. "At least we won't have to worry about dear old Cuddy barreling in here to demand that we keep the touching to a mere none since you work for me."

Cameron laughed a light, happy sounding laugh and House grinned widely before moving his hands down to her hips and pulling her towards him. She slid her hands up his body to rest on his chest, fingering the soft material of his T-shirt before moving one hand up to his neck to pull him down to her. "Thank goodness for small favors." She whispered before touching his mouth with hers.

House groaned into her mouth as it opened beneath his, welcoming his pliant tongue into her warm mouth. She hummed softly as his tongue met hers, the vibrating motion ricocheting throughout his body, heading straight for a certain part of his anatomy. Another groan escaped when she smirked and ran her hand through his short hair, teasing the inside of his mouth with her warm tongue.

A loud shriek pulled them apart, both breathing heavily. House quickly moved behind his desk and sat down to hide the effects of their short, yet intense, make-out session from Kate who was standing at the doorway with the same facial expression a deer has when watching a semi-truck barreling down the road towards it.

House met her stare with a mocking one of his own before throwing his ball at her. "Come out of your trance and tell me what you know."

She blinked a few times before shaking her head as if to rid her mind of the disturbing image that was now firmly etched onto her minds eye. "Dr. Chase has a rash."

"He's always rash." House muttered before holding out his hand. "Do you have test results for me?"

"Well…I…no." She sputtered. "I just thought…"

"…that I would diagnose the rash from here?" House snarked with an eye roll. "Nice try, Johnston. I'm good, but I'm not _that_ good." He stood heavily, grabbing his cane from its spot leaning against the wall, his 'excitement' somewhat returned to normal. "Let's go see Chase's rash."

xXx

"Hmmm, interesting." House hummed as he examined the rash on Chase's face and back. He turned to Foreman. "Did you do the tap?"

Forman shook his head. "No, not yet."

"Don't. It's nothing viral."

"You don't know that." Kate pointed out. "It could be a weird form of a virus. Isn't that what this department is about? Strange cases?"

House glared at her. "You really want to subject someone to a painful, yet pointless test?"

"Just make sure, House." Chase said weakly from the bed. "I can handle the pain."

"Oh, I'm sure you can, Kangaroo boy." House brushed him off with a wave of his hand. "Fine. Foreman, tap his spine. Let me know if we find gold or not. Johnston, go home. We don't need you here any more. I'll see you tomorrow bright and early."

She nodded and left the room, eager to head home from her first day of hell…err…work.

"What about me?" Foreman asked from where he was prepping the tap.

"When you're done, you can prepare yourself to sit here all night. I hope you didn't have anything planned for tonight."

"Lucky for you, I didn't." Foreman muttered, focusing again on Chase. "Okay, just turn on your side…good. You'll feel a pinch…"

"Oh, shit!" Chase gasped, clenching a fistful of blanket in his hand as he tried to remember to breath. "Telling patients that it's going to hurt sure as hell doesn't prepare you for it yourself."

"Almost done…and okay." Foreman let out the breath he was holding. "You can relax, Chase." He held up the vile and looked over at the three. "It's clear. Nothing viral."

"Great." Chase deadpanned. "I'm dying and now we know it's not viral."

"Oh, Chase. Don't be so negative." House scoffed mockingly. "You're dying and we are _almost _sure that it's not viral."

"Thanks. That makes me feel _so_ much better." Chase rolled his eyes at his boss and groaned. "Can I sleep yet?"

"Yes." Foreman informed him and stepped back from the bed.

"Thank-you. And go home, Foreman. I don't need a babysitter." Chase mumbled as he started to fade.

"No, Chase. Foreman is staying." House chastised him. "You need round the clock attention and by golly I intend to see that you get it."

"House?" Chase opened his eyes and waited until he had House's attention before saying loudly. "Shut up!"

"Foreman is still staying."

"No, Foreman is going home."

"He's staying."

"He's not."

"Is too!"

"Is not!"

"Is too!"

"Is not!"

Cameron turned to Foreman and whispered to him. "Why is it _doctors_ are the most immature patients?"

"I heard that!" Chase burst out before glaring at House. "He is not staying!"

"You_ are_ immature, and yes he is!" House insisted passionately. "I'm the boss, and more currently and importantly, your doctor."

"I'm a doctor and I say no!"

"I'm a doctor and I say yes!"

"No!"

"Yes!"

"SHUT UP!" Both men turned in surprise at hearing Cameron shout. "Thank-you. Chase, Foreman is staying. Stop being a baby. Greg, stop arguing with Chase. It's not worth it."

"But…"

"No arguments, Chase, or I'll duct tape your mouth shut." Cameron threatened ardently. "I'm serious. Shut it. Now, let's take some blood, okay?"

"I'll get it, Cameron. Go ahead and go home." Foreman waved her away. "Have a good evening."

Cameron hesitated. "Are you sure, Foreman?"

"I'm sure. Go."

"Great, now that my power has been usurped, I'm going to become and echo and say 'Go home, Cameron.'" He mocked Foreman's voice with an eye roll. "Allison, if you want to go home, do so."

"Planning on doing so, Greg. I'll see you later." She smiled at the room's occupants and practically skipped down the hall, eager to go home.

Foreman pretended not to notice how House's gaze followed her until she disappeared from sight. "You can go, House. I'll be fine."

"Okay." House said distractedly, not really noticing that Foreman just gave him an order.

Foreman held back a grin as House moved out of the room as if in a trance, though a very fast moving trance, in the same direction Cameron disappeared.

"100 bucks says their sleeping together." Foreman turned to see Chase with a sad grin on his face. "Yeah, I think I've lost the war for Allison's heart."

The black man gave his Australian coworker a sympathetic smile and headed out to the lab with the vial of blood.

xXx

Cameron had just gotten in the elevator waiting for the doors to close when a cane stopped the doors. The reopened to reveal a stern looking House. She moved to the side of the car to let him on and they stood next to each other in silence. Neither of them looked at the other until Cameron heard House snort and she glanced at him to see that he was grinning and trying not to laugh. She started to giggle and their eyes met and soon the car was filled with a deep laugh mixed with the higher pitched giggle.

"So, my place or yours?" House said finally, just as the doors were opening to the lobby.

"Yours." Cameron grinned. "Let's take your bike."

"That's my girl."

It was a short ride to House's apartment and the two of them were soon safely inside away from prying eyes. House gave her a searing kiss and she nearly melted on him. Her arms slowly found themselves wrapping around his neck and his hands slid into the waistline of her pants, resting on the soft skin of her bottom. He slowly massaged her cheeks and she gasped into his mouth, grinding against his growing erection.

The minimal control House had broke as he felt her grind hard against him. Without breaking the kiss, he started to push her towards his bedroom but she had other ideas. She turned and pushed him into his overstuffed chair, straddling him once he was seated.

"Oh, you are way over dressed, darling'." House moaned when he felt her nimble hands brush against 'Mt. Gregory.'

"So are you." She said between kissing him and tasting him. "Let's fix that." She pulled his t-shirt over his head, running her fingers through the hair peppering his chest. She stopped him when he went to return the favor. "Nope, this is my time to pleasure you." His hands fell back to the armrests of the chair and he smirked at her through passion-darkened eyes. She kept eye contact with him as she crossed her arms and slowly removed her shirt, revealing her simple white bra underneath. His eyes dropped to her covered breasts and back up to her eyes, silently pleading with her to hurry it up. She reached back to unclasp her bra when an unwelcome sound broke the moment.

_Ring_

They stared at House's phone in disbelief. "You have got to be f-ing kidding me." House growled. He picked Cameron up and sat her on the edge of the armrest, picking his phone out of his jacket. "What?" He barked irritably.

"Chase just seized. Twice in a row, with barely 5 minutes in between." Foreman sounded breathless.

"Is he stable?"

"For now."

"Call me if he becomes unstable." Without waiting for a reply, he hung up on Foreman to return to Cameron. "Now, where were we?" He leered at Cameron as she settled back carefully on his lap to avoid bumping his leg and removed her bra. "Ah, yes. Now I remember."

xXx

House and Cameron walked into the hospital the next morning at the same time with his arm slung protectively over her shoulder, House knowing full-well how many rumors that the action would start…or end. Foreman and Kate met them at the entrance.

"He's stopped seizing after the fourth seizure." He informed them quickly. "I'm not sure what else we…." He glanced at his beeping pager. "And there he goes again." He took off running down the hall, leaving the three of them standing there in the lobby.

House and Cameron stopped slowly, a pondering expression on the taller one's face. "Test him for VDRL." House said finally.

"For what?" Kate was confused.

"V-D-R-L." House said slowly, as if speaking to a five year old.

"Syphilis?" Cameron questioned with a frown, tilting her head as she tried to figure out his reasoning.

"Just do it." House ordered. "I have a theory."

"A theory?" The newest doctor protested. "You can't order a test based on a…"

"You think he has some form of lupus?" Cameron interrupted suddenly, the proverbial light bulb lighting over her head.

House nodded. "Or the like. So while you're testing for VDRL…"

"I'll do the ANA test, too." Cameron finished with an affirmative nod.

"Good girl." House would never admit it in public, but he was proud of her for figuring out what he was thinking without prompting. He smacked her on the rump. "Now go diagnose Chase so you can have your new office without a mean ol' boss watching your every move."


	19. The Wheel Keeps Turning

Story Title: Touch of Destiny

Chapter 19: The Wheel Keeps Turning

Chapter summery: Chase is diagnosed and Cameron readies for her job switch after uncovering a secret that has been held for months by the keeper.

xXx

Disclaimer: Not mine, unless you don't recognize a character. Then it is mine, and you shouldn't take it. Such as….Dotty Myers and Kate Johnston are all mine.

AN: Yes, this is the third (I think) chapter this month. Be happy. The next one won't be for a long time. I've have nine pages written, but I want to have chapter 21 at least part way written before I post it. The next two chapters are going to be complicated. New characters, fights, drama, etc. Woot!

xXx

Obsessedwithstabler: LOL! You know, I just might take you up on that. Not too great with the smut and all. But I want my story to be about so much more than "the great sex life of House and Cameron." I like having a story line too. Here's what I'll do. I write a smutty scene at the end of the chapter, and you let me know how it was…honestly, 'k?

SilvaK: Yeah, Kate will prove to be quite entertaining. And I'm glad my writing is up to par!

vands88: Oh, I'm not finished with Chase yet. (Maniac laughter) Enjoy the next chapter!

KyGirl03: I'm glad that I could make your morning! I'm in the process of writing the next two chapters, so hopefully it won't take _too_ long.

whoKMH: Your mind is in the gutter. Very much so. Lol. Just use your imagination. That's why I left it wiiiide open. For all I know, she dumped ice cream on his head. It's up to each and every reader to decide for his or her self. (grin) As for Chase liking Cameron….yeah, it's continuing…for now. Ha. Haha. HAHAHAHAHA!

Sweetgreuy: I love it when my characters get the correct response when I write them. Don't worry, her part will be revealed as the plot goes on.

ShipperCrazed – FanFicCrazy: He will be revealed soon enough. Glad you don't like the new doctor, which was my point. But not for Cuds. Hmmm. I think that I will have to write Cuddy explaining it to Dr. Cameron.

AllisonCammie: Well, we'll find out soon enough if Kate is up to the job. I think she will be. But who knows….MWAHAHA!

Bellydancerakn: Do you actually speak French? Because if you do, I really want some tips. I want to learn it. So I am very glad for the correction. Mon for male, ma for female. I think I can remember that. I'm glad you've been following my story! I appreciate the review!

xXx

"Are we good, or are we _good_?" House wondered out loud as he scanned the ANA test. "Ding, ding, ding! We have a winner!" He waved the paper around his head. "Lupus it is, more specifically Systemic Lupus Erythematosus. Now, who wants to be the lucky winner to tell Sir Doctor Chase that he has the disease that never is?"

With a faux scanning of the room, he pointed at Cameron. "Cameron, thank you for volunteering to tell your last patient under me that he's dying. Of course, we all are dying. But that's another topic for another day."

Cameron rolled her eyes at his mockery of the situation. "I'll gladly tell him." She started out the lab door, muttering under her breath. "Not like I actually ever liked him anyway."

Kate watched Dr. House watch as Dr. Cameron left and put two and two together. From their actions yesterday and the way his gaze followed her told her that they were together. A loud snap brought her attention back to earth.

"Yes, we're together." He seemed to have read her mind. "She's my girlfriend. Now get to work, Johnston."

"What do you want me to do?"

He thrust his ID in her direction. "Be me in the clinic."

She gaped at him. "What?"

His eye brows raised. "Are you questioning me?"

"Well, yeah. Aren't _you_ supposed to do your clinic hours."

He pulled a 'duh' expression. "Of course. But why do my own clinic hours when I have you to do them for me." He pointed towards the door. She made a face, took his ID, and sulked the entire way to the clinic.

When he turned to Foreman, the black man held up his hands. "I'm going down to the neurology department. I'm starting some training so I can take over in a year or so."

House nodded. "Acceptable. Keep your pager on you."

"Always, House." Foreman rolled his eyes and headed out the door in the opposite direction Kate had gone.

The moment all three were gone, House turned back to the test results. Something was fishy about the numbers. Yes, it was Systemic Lupus Erythematosus, but the problem he could see was _how_ he got it. There was an abnormal level of mythrotemine in his blood. (AN: I made that up, don't kill me.) His eyes narrowed as a thought came to him. But why would Chase…? It wasn't possible. But for some reason, the thought wouldn't leave his mind as he prepped another blood test to check the results. When he was done, and if it checked, he'd return to his office to defeat Bowser in level 8.

xXx

Cameron mulled over in her mind how she was going to tell Chase that he had lupus. "Chase, I'm afraid that I have bad news. No, it isn't TB, cancer, or anything like that. It's lupus."

She snorted as she bit back a laugh. "Right. Because the fact that he doesn't have cancer will make it _so_ much better." A thought came to her as she pondered over the test results. After working with House so long, she was becoming quite skilled at reading into the test results to discover the abnormal. And what stuck out as abnormal to her was the level of mythrotemine in his blood.

"There is no way he would have done this to himself." She muttered to herself, ignoring the nurse that stared at her like she had grown a second head.

When she looked up, she realized that she was directly outside Chase's room. "Huh. Well, here goes." Taking a deep breath, she pushed open the door and headed towards the foot of his bed.

Chase, not surprisingly enough, was sleeping soundly. She grinned wickedly to herself when mischievous thought passed through her mind. _I've really been around Greg too long._

Tiptoeing to the head of his bed, she took a deep breath and leaned down to say into his ear. "WAKE UP, DR. CHASE!" She practically screamed.

He shot up, his eyes frantically looking around the room to find the source of the loud unexpected noise. "Geez, Cameron!" He yelled. "What the hell are you trying to do? Kill me!?"

"I'm just waking you up, Chase." She said innocently, having moved to a safe distance away: the foot of his bed.

"So, what do I have?" He didn't waste any time in asking despite the fact he was still trying to recover from his scare.

When she told Chase that he had lupus, his reaction was pretty much what she expected.

"I have _what?_" Chase stared at Cameron in utter shock and confusion, wondering if what he heard was a result of being woken up so abruptly.

"Systemic Lupus Erythematosus, Chase. You have Lupus. L, u, p, u, s. Lupus" She repeated herself with a sigh.

"I can spell it. And there is no way in hell that I have _lupus._" He spat out angrily. 

"Believe it or not, Chase, I don't really care." Allison didn't have the patience for his childish behavior.

"But, lupus!" He protested. "It's _never_ lupus."

"Apparently, sometimes it is." With that said, she left behind an angry, yet slightly relieved, Chase. Angry because he had lupus, relieved because at least they had figured out what he had.

"Huh." He muttered. "Lupus. Go figure."

xXx

As Cameron stalked out of Chase's room, she realized that she now had no clue what to do. Her clinic hours were completely done for the next couple of days, so she had no desire to head down there. Her only option was to do what she hadn't been able to do this morning. Greg's mail.

She was tossing a small stack of pointless mail that Greg would never read into the trash when Wilson walked into the office. "Good…whatever it is, Cameron. Have you seen House?"

She shook her head as she opened another letter, silently laughing at the first words.

_Dr. Gregory House, _

_Boston General and I humbly request your presence to speak at our conference on infectious diseases in a month._

She laughed. As if Greg would consider that. However, she put it aside to see if she could maybe convince him to take the opportunity.

Wilson looked confused and leaned back on the conference table, crossing his arms in front of him. "You've been here nearly four years and he's still got you answering his mail?"

Cameron shrugged and answered, "It's just one of the things I do here. Habit. Besides, it's my last day to do so. Chase goes home either today or tomorrow and I move into my office tomorrow. I figured I'd humor Greg one last time."

Her jaw clenched slightly. Why didn't anyone get the idea she just liked doing nice things for people? The small stuff. It wasn't like she was giving out her kidneys, pieces of liver, and bone marrow daily. It was just…nice stuff.

Wilson noticed the change in muscle tension and realized that she was clamming up on him. "He's also got you making his coffee, ordering in his sandwiches, doing his filing, and taking over some of his clinic hours." Wilson reached over and grabbed Cameron's hand, startling her. He looked at her sappily and she started to laugh at the ludicrous expression on his face. "Allison, darling, I hate to break it to you, but he's a big boy now."

Cameron squeezed his hand slightly and then let go, placing one hand on her hip, leaving the other to shake a finger at him mockingly. "Then we should ship him off to military school post haste, James. You always were too lenient with him. Now look where it's landed us!"

With an over-dramatic waves of her arms, she spun once in a circle, indicated the disaster site that was House's office, filled with unfinished paper work, half-eaten food, and toys of all varieties. Wilson chuckled out loud, shaking his head, and Cameron's laugh joined his.

"Fine, I'm leaving you to your slave labor. I won't begrudge you one last day. But if I come in after today and I see you doing any of his work, I'm going to throttle you." Wilson warned seriously.

Cameron just laughed and headed towards the door. "Agreed. Now, if you don't mind, I'm going to go and file the paperwork for the last patient I will have working under House."

"Wait." Wilson waited until she turned back to him before asking a question that was burning on his mind. "What did Chase end up having?"

The immunologist grinned. "Systemic Lupus Erythematosus."

"Lupus?!?" Wilson was astounded. "But…but it's _never_…"

"It's never lupus." Cameron's grin faded. "That's what makes this ironic. The one disease that it never is for any of our patients just happens to be the disease of one of our doctors. House is going to have to hire another doctor to replace Chase, though I think that other than having to sit through interviews, he won't mind."

"He never did like Chase, that's for sure." Wilson mused. "I'll talk to you after work, Cameron."

"Sounds good." She nodded at the oncologist and headed down to lunch.

"Oh, and Cameron?" He waited until she turned around again before grinning. "We'll have to have a party for you tomorrow."

Her response was a huge grin that seemed to light up the entire room.

xXx

"So, have you moved from old, damaged cripples to emotionally needy oncologists now?" House plopped himself down at Cameron's table and fixed her with an expression that resembled both a glare and a scowl at the same time.

"Huh?" She looked up from her unappetizingly limp salad with a bewildered expression marring her face.

"Oh, I just heard a rumor that you and Wilson are 'a thing' now." He sounded bitter as he relayed this bit of information, leaving his lunch buddy realizing that he made up the rumor on the spot.

Cameron just stared at him in disbelief. "After all I went through to get your attention, you still think that I'm just going to run off with some other guy, not to mention your _best friend_? Wilson and I are simply friends who also just happen to be _your_ only friends." She eyed him carefully. "What brought this sudden bout of insecurity on?"

House looked down at his feet, shifting in his seat uncomfortably. "You two keep eating together and having drinks after work together." He mumbled before looking up, his frustration and anger making his blue eyes a brilliant, deep blue. "And in my office earlier! 'Allison, darling.' He called you darling!" He was startled to hear her laugh.

"You missed the entire conversation if that's all you heard." She shook her head, laughter still laced through her voice.

"It's all I needed to hear." He grumbled bitterly, all the while wondering if he had once again jumped to the wrong conclusion. "He's what you need. Someone to call you darling and Sugar Honey Bear instead of calling you by your last name or arguing with you all the time."

"No, you needed to listen to the rest of it. We were discussing you, of all people. And please. Sugar Honey Bear? I'm a doctor, not a hooker or a…a strip dancer."

Sometime through their ranting, her hands had moved so they were clenched on the table and she was staring at him almost defiantly. He had to stop that look so he quickly leaned over the table and kissed her firmly. He pulled back just as unexpectedly and stared down at her. "I love you."

She knew that it was his way of apologizing and she smiled. "I love you too. Now enough of this insecurity!" She ignored the crowd staring at them and focused instead on poking at her salad with a grimace.

"Any doubts about how I feel, Dr. Cameron?" House sounded proud of himself and it made Cameron smile at him softly.

"Never have been any doubts, not since you first told me that you loved me." She met his eyes and reached across the table to touch his hand. Much to her surprise, he flipped his hand around to clasp hers and squeezed it lightly.

"Let the rumors flow." He murmured. "They've been around ever since you started working for me."

She gave him a look that said 'duh.' "Believe me, I know about some of those rumors. And the pitying looks. And the looks of envy that have begun from the nurses downstairs."

"Envy?" House said incredulously. He couldn't believe that anyone would be jealous of anyone who had to put up with him on a daily basis.

"Yes, envy." She repeated with a slight grimace. "They think you are drop dead sexy and it would be worth all your jibes, sarcasm, and rudeness just to 'sex up Dr. House,' as one nurse so kindly put it."

His eyebrows shot up almost to his hairline. "Sex up?"

"You know, this conversation is going to take a lot longer if you keep repeating everything I say." Cameron teased him. "I didn't have the heart to tell her that the job of sexing you up was no longer up for grabs. I figured that I'd let her know the hard way."

"Here's an idea." House got that mischievous look on his face and Cameron wasn't sure she'd like his idea all that much. "Let's set it straight in all of their minds." He proceeded to tell her his idea and found herself reluctantly agreeing.

xXx

"No way, Greg." Cameron shook her head as she whispered harshly to him. "Do you _see_ how many people are in here?" They were standing at the end of a hallway that was teeming with the hospital staff who were either coming on or off shift.

"Why, do you know of a better place?" He whispered back, though much louder. "Are you backing out on me?"

"I wouldn't have agreed if I had known _this_ was where you wanted to…"

He didn't let her finish her statement. The entire hall froze when they saw the grumpy Dr. House locked in a passionate kiss with the beautiful, young Dr. Cameron.

Cameron didn't have time to be indignant. When he kissed her, she forgot why she was protesting the idea in the first place. Suddenly, it didn't matter that they were in the middle of what was currently the busiest part of the hospital. All that mattered was proving to everyone and the grumpy diagnostician that she loved him. And that is what she did.

House could tell the moment she gave in. He drew her even closer so their bodies were flush against each other and ran his hands down her back towards her backside. He suddenly didn't care that there were a ton of people in the hall watching, he was going to have her in the most primal way known to man.

She pulled back slightly, a tiny grin on her face. "I think Mt. Gregory wants some attention." She said so only he could hear.

House barely bit back the groan at the tone she used, grabbed her hand, and practically dragged her to the nearest open supply closet around the corner. "Damn my office's glass walls." He muttered as he locked the door behind them and immediately latched upon her neck.

"Hmmm, no." She pushed at his head. "I do not want a hickey where everyone can see it."

"Too late." House grinned and she wrinkled her nose at him. He kissed said object before moving down to her lips. "You taste good."

"It's called Chap Stick." She smirked. "The flavored kind, strawberry I think."

"Mmmhmm. I like it. You don't happen to have it on you, do you?" He had a mischievous smirk on his face and she produced the tube of Chap Stick. She proceeded to gasp and moan as he proceeded to use her Chap Stick in ways it was never intended to be used.

xXx

The hallway was empty as the pair made their escape from the closet. House went directly to his office and Cameron headed to the ladies restroom to wait for a few minutes before joining him in his office.

House smirked as he settled in his chair. Mind-blowing sex at work was always fun, if not productive. He was now able to concentrate on the extra blood tests he had done on Chase.

His eyes met Allison's when she walked into his office just after he slid on his reading glasses and began to read the files.

She leaned over his shoulder and read part of what he was reading. "I see you had the same idea that came to me as I walked down the hall to talk to Chase." She pointed to the first test. "Did the levels of mythrotemine seem to alarm you?"

He nodded, scanning the orginal page. "What alarmed me the most is that he shouldn't have _any_. It's a foreign substance. Doesn't exist in blood."

She 'hmmd'. "I didn't think so. How do you know for sure?"

"I went to medical school." He teased before growing serious. He produced another test paper and motioned for her to compare. "I took a basic Lupus patient's blood result and compared it with his."

She scanned both papers before looking at him in alarm. His eyes met hers over his glasses, concern written in hers and interest written in his.

"Did Chase do this to himself?" Cameron thought out loud, her brow tightening in thought.

"And if he did, why?" House muttered, his eyes drifting back to the paper. "And look here." He pointed to another number.

She gasped. "If he had lupus…"

"That number would be in the negatives."

"And this number…" She froze and met his eyes again.

"Is way to high." They finished together, realization dawning on them.

House pulled his glasses off of his face and put them back in their case. "I think we need a little investigation of our own, what do you think?"

She smiled a tight smile and nodded briskly. "I think you're right. And if the investigation uncovers what I suspect it will…" She didn't finish her thought.

"He'll have a lot of visitors soon." House finished for her, his eyes dark. He pulled out a small tape recorder from his bottom drawer and put a new tape in it. At Cameron's look of confusion, he sighed. "Yes, I do actually do my dictations. Now, my fellow detective, time to do some eavesdropping."

xXx

"The plan will be complete tonight. Having her shot and Joe stalk her was not enough, but this will be. It's perfect, really. No one will suspect me because Cuddy keeps saying that one day he'll OD on vicodin because he takes to much."

He listened carefully to the man on the other end and grinned. "Yes, I have the vial here with me under my pillow. I will use it as soon as I have the antidote in my bloodstream."

His face darkened as the man spoke again.

"What do you mean you don't have it?"

The man on the other end of the line sounded too smug for our no longer a stranger's liking.

"Damn it, you told me that you _had_ the antidote!" Chase hissed angrily into the phone, glancing at the glass walls to make sure no one was listening to his conversation. "You think that I actually _want_ to be sick? The stuff you gave me was only supposed to mimic the symptoms, not actually _give_ me lupus! This was all to get at House. I will take the antidote, poison House, leave the hospital, change my name, and move to a country where no one has heard of Robert Chase or his father."

The man on the other end chuckled and told Chase that he _did _have the antidote, but the price for the antidote was going to be much higher than they had agreed on. The Australian was furious. However, Chase knew that if he refused to pay the higher price, then he would eventually die from the poison he had entered into his bloodstream.

With a growl, he agreed on the new price and hung up the phone after having arranged a time for the man to meet the sick doctor.

"So let me get this straight." Cameron spoke from the doorway of Chase's room, startling him severely.

Chase jammed the phone under the covers, hoping she hadn't seen it or heard his conversation. "Get what straight?" He asked, afraid of what she was going to say.

"You hired someone to shoot House, but instead, he shot me." She said bluntly, her arms clenched across her chest.

Chase felt uncomfortable, but hid it well. "Where did you hear that?" He asked crossly, crossing his arms over his chest.

"From you."

His look turned to a dear in the headlights expression. "From me?"

Her smug look sent a shot of fear directly into his heart. She produced a tape recorder from her lab coat pocket and pushed play. He winced again at the sound of his own voice talking on his phone not two minutes earlier. She had heard it all. He looked up when she spoke again, her tone still very calm and measured.

"First, you tried to get House killed. Second, you told Joe to stalk me; though trying to rape me was his idea I'm going to assume for your sake. Third, you drugged yourself to make it seem as if you had some weird disease to somehow try and kill House in his own office, making it look as if it were a vicodin OD. I still have yet to figure out how on earth you were going to do that. Did you honestly think that one of us _wouldn't_ catch on sooner or later? We are doctors, Chase. We can tell when something isn't right in a blood-work test." Her voice was slowly becoming more chilling and Chase actually started to fear for his life.

Cameron noticed his slight shift back away from her and she actually gave a diabolical laugh. "I'm not the one you should worry about, Dr. Chase." She said coldly as House came into view. Chase's eyes widened and this time he visibly moved away from her as far as he could in the bed. "It's too bad he's not as forgiving as I am."

"I'm the one you should fear, Chase." House said darkly, stalking towards the frightened man quickly. "You tried to have me shot. You tried to have my girlfriend raped by an old friend. You were going to try and poison me in my own office. By the way, I don't eat, drink, or open anything that wasn't prepared by Wilson, Allison, or myself."

He stopped when he was looming over the Australian and he leaned down to stare into Chase's eyes. With a sudden menacing grin, he spoke in a loud whisper. "You will not see the inside of a hospital unless as a patient for the rest of your life. When I'm done with you, no one respectable will want to hire you. In fact, the not-so-respectable people won't even want you. That's if you're lucky. If you're not so lucky, you're going to be spending the rest of your miserable existence enjoying all the comforts prison offers."

He pulled on a glove and reached under the pillow to pull out the vial Chase had intended for House. "Thank you for this. I'm sure the police will be very happy to see this." He bagged it carefully and tucked it into Cameron's lab coat pocket.

He moved back to stand next to Cameron, his dark eyes still fixed on Chase's frightened ones. "Of course, with hair like yours, you're going to have _no_ problem 'making friends', my dear Chase."

"All this whole mess has done is solidify my choice to be with Greg." Cameron added firmly. "You have proven yourself as a fraud, a creep, and an overly possessive man."

Cuddy appeared at the door. "Drs. House and Cameron, if I could have a word please?" She waited until the two were out of the door and the door was slid shut before whispering harshly. "What the hell are you doing to Chase? He's sick."

"Solving our mystery." Cameron said simply. "And he is_ sick_. In more ways than one." She handed Cuddy the tape player and smiled up at House who wrapped an arm around her waist. "This contains all the evidence to prove that Chase was the behind-the-scenes guy behind the man who shot me and Joe stalking me. He was also plotting to murder House tonight through poison. The man who is providing the antidote is arriving at midnight. Let Chase get the meds before you sic the police on both him and the other creep."

Cuddy couldn't breathe let alone gasp in shock. All she could do was gape at the pair she was so shocked. "Chase?" She finally managed.

"Chase." House confirmed darkly. "Turns out I was wrong for once, Cuddles." He and Cameron headed down the hall towards the elevator down to go home.

Cuddy shook her head before frowning. "Wait, House." When he turned around, she gave him a confused look. "Wrong about what?"

"About the shooter not being in the hospital. I was right in judging his character. I never have liked him. Now I know why." He said simply before he and Cameron disappeared into the elevator.

The doors opened again to reveal an annoyed House and a smiling Cameron. "I'll be in the office at 9." She told Cuddy firmly.

The Dean groaned in disgust as she watched the doors close and shook her head slowly as she tried to process all that had happened in the past five minutes. With a glare at Chase who slunk further into his bed, she locked the door so he couldn't get out and headed down to her office to make one last phone call to Detective Tritter.

xXx

House stared at his wall blankly though the phone was ringing in the kitchen. He wasn't sure why, but Allison hadn't come home with him. She had said something about things at home that she had to do.

"House, answer your damn phone." Wilson's voice could be heard from the answering machine and House frowned at it from his spot on the couch. He knew that if he didn't answer the phone, then Wilson would just keep ringing him until he answered.

The next time the phone rang, he picked it up. "What?" He bit out annoyed.

"Finally." Wilson sounded exasperated. "I heard about Chase. Nice job in catching him, though I heard Cameron did most of the work. Listen, I have an idea."

"For what?" House asked, his tone not sarcastic for once.

"Allison."

"Sorry, I don't share."

"Not interested in _that_, House." The oncologist was exasperated once more. "It has to do with a 'farewell' party for her tomorrow."

House frowned. Just one more reminder that she was leaving him. "Why? It's not like she's moving to Detroit or something."

"No, but she is leaving your department."

"No shit, Sherlock." House muttered.

"What was that?"

"I said I know." House didn't feel like being nasty at the moment. All he felt was a need to get drunk now.

"Right." Wilson paused. "So, a party?"

"Fine. Whatever. Plan whatever you want. Don't plan on me paying for any of it." He slammed the phone down without letting Wilson answer.

He was just pouring a glass of scotch when there was a knock at his door. "Who the hell would that be?"

He flung open the door and stared down at the petite immunologist standing on his doorstep.

"Can I come in?" She sounded unsure and House wasn't sure why.

"Of course not. Why would I let my girlfriend into my apartment?" He found himself saying sarcastically as he moved to let her in and locked the door behind her. His eyes took in her small overnight bag, her black yoga-style pants, black Chaco sandals, and long sleeved white cotton shirt. So that was the cause of her uneasiness. What, did she think that he was going to kick her out? Hell, he wasn't _that_ much of a bastard, was he? He didn't think so. "So…" He froze, unsure what else to say.

"Sew buttons." She finished with a slight smile, not offering any reason to her unexpected, yet welcome, arrival.

"Wanna drink?" He asked suddenly, moving back into the living room where his bottle of scotch awaited him.

"Sure." She kicked off her Chaco's, set her bag down beside the couch, and curled up against the armrest.

He frowned at her and she gave a confused look back. Handing her her drink, he reached over and tugged on her arm, trying to give her the hint that she was too far away for his liking. She caught on and scooted over so she was cuddled against him.

"Much better." She heard him mutter and she smiled, taking a sip of her scotch.

"Yeah." She agreed with a soft whisper, the pair falling into companionable silence.

"So why did you come?" He asked finally.

"I missed you." She said honestly without hesitation.

His response was a gentle smile he reserved solely for her before he leaned forward to kiss her, his drink discarded on the table. Hers followed soon after and was promptly forgotten as he teased her willing lips with his own.

**Okay, so here comes the smut for obsessedwithstabler and whoever else has messaged/reviewed that they want more smutty stuff. You wanted it, you got it.** **Just keep in mind that I'm BAD at writing this kind of stuff and don't expect it in every chapter. If you don't like smut or if you're under 18…DON'T READ!!! Go to the next bold words. They say "safe again to read." The last part is important to my story.**

Her soft moans at his touch fueled his determination to love her this night as he had originally planned when they were leaving the hospital. When she tried to pull him deeper, he resisted, keeping instead the steady, gentle pace he had started. What he felt for the woman in his arms far surpassed what ever he had thought he had felt for Stacy and any thoughts of Stacy faded into the far recess of his mind where she could not disturb them.

His mind focused on Allison who was currently nibbling on his lower lip, trying to draw it into her mouth. He caught her before she succeeded and pulled away slightly, effectively deterring her from her goal. She pouted at him and reached up to tug on his neck. "Please, Greg." She groaned. "I need you."

"Patience, love." He whispered directly in her ear. "Tonight is about you." He clenched his jaw slightly and she gasped as he picked her up, her eyes filled with concern. "I'm fine." He managed to say as he walked to his room. He wanted this done right. Laying her carefully on his bed, he rubbed his leg with a grimace and quickly swallowed a couple of pills. Trust the mangled flesh on his leg to ruin the mood.

When he dared to glance at her, she had turned onto her side and gave him a smile that told him all he wanted to know. It hadn't been a turn off to see him take his pills. The actions that he had done so far were turning her on more than he could imagine, and her expression was screaming at him to hurry up the process. He gave her a languid smile and slid onto the bed next to her so that he was next to her on his side. He tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear and whispered into it so his hot breath shot straight to her womanhood. "You are gorgeous."

He proceeded his words with careful nips and kisses that trailed from the corner of her mouth down to the immensely modest neckline of her shirt. "So modest tonight." He muttered against her covered chest, the vibrations causing her skin to prickle and her nipples to harden, making small bumps on top of the larger ones he was determined to uncover. He glanced up at her and his eyes met hers, both smoldering with a passion that they didn't quite understand.

He tugged on her hands and they both sat up slowly, their eyes never leaving each other's. She reached out to remove her shirt but he stopped her with his hands on hers. With a slight shake of his head, he moved her hands so that they rested at her sides, trying to hint to her that it was his turn to provide for her a night of pleasure. It took a moment for her to realize what he was doing and the smile she gave him sent an electric-like shock straight to his already stiff groin.

He slowly reached for her shirt and slid it unhurriedly up her torso, revealing her skin inch by inch, reveling in each bit that was uncovered. The unbridled lust that was written in his eyes made her skin turn pink with pleasure and embarrassment. Each morsel of skin that his eyes took in made his dick just a bit harder.

When her shirt and bra were finally on the floor next to the bed, he pushed her gently back onto the bed, moving slowly over her so that he could have full access to what he had been fantasizing about all day. He continued on his path that he had halted at her neck with the nips and kisses and she mewed, squirming under him as he circled each breast.

She clenched at the bed covers trying to keep herself from shoving his mouth onto what her body was aching to have suckled and fondled. He chuckled at feeling her body tense up slightly and the vibrations sent a wave down to her nether regions that were already soaked from his attentions thus far.

The loud moan that escaped her lips when he finally touched her rock-solid nipple with the tip of his tongue almost made him forget that he was moving slowly. He steadied his resolve and continued to taste and tease her tantalizing nipples and she continued to squirm and moan, begging him to suck, fondle, and bite her.

He finally gave in to her desires, and his, and set his concentration on making her cry out loudly. Biting lightly on the tip of the current breast, he listened for her reaction and was pleased when she moaned and uttered a breathy 'yes'. With a small smirk, he continued to massage the breast with his mouth, the other one being teased by his long fingers. He switched to the other one and he finally got his cry from her.

She couldn't take it any more. She reached out and tugged on his shirt, trying to remove it. He chuckled and pulled away from her chest. "Impatient much?"

"I can't take it any more!" She pleaded furiously. "I need to feel you, to touch you, to taste for myself."

"As you wish." He said in a growling tone as he pulled his t-shirt up and over his head, tousling his hair in the process. When he lowered himself back down to kiss her, the feeling of her hard nipples pulling light on his soft chest hair was enough to make them both give a small cry of surprise and pleasure.

They attacked each other's mouths with a reckless abandon, their teeth close to clinking together. Somehow, Greg knew how to prevent such a collision and focused instead on conquering her mouth with his skilled tongue. Her mouth was soft and warm, inviting him to taste and to devour with his own. He pulled her tongue into his mouth and began to suck on it, making her groan deep in her throat and grind her still clad hips into his own jean-incased ones.

His growl rumbled deep in his chest and he pulled back to untie her yoga pants to slide them off her hips, her underwear sliding with them. He stared at the moist mound that begged him to taste and feast upon and his eyes drifted up over her taught stomach and small breasts to her eyes that were begging him to continue.

He kissed her stomach and nipped his way down to the junction of her thighs and hips and made his mark on both sides. "Ugg, Greg!" She squirmed as he sucked at the skin there. "More."

He was more than happy to comply; however, her movements were making his pants unbearably tight. He sat back and moved to stand. She moved with him and reached for his belt. It soon joined her clothing and she slowly unbuttoned his pants, one hand cupping the manhood that begged to be let loose. He watched her and her eyes drifted up to meet his in a dark, passion filled stare that had him twitching in her cupped hand.

She smirked and slowly moved his pants down over his hips and he stepped out of them, using her shoulder as a means to balance. Now all that separated him from her was a pair of tented boxers that had Sponge Bob decorating them. He gave her an embarrassed grin and she grinned back, running a hand over his buttocks and giving it a squeeze before hooking her fingers around the elastic band that held the boxers to his waist and dragging them over his manhood and onto the floor to join the rest of their clothes.

She reached out and slowly ran a finger down the side of his throbbing dick and both he and it jumped, him startled and it excited. Emboldened, she moved the other hand and began to stroke it with both hands, the hardened flesh growing thicker and longer until it was at full attention.

"Allison…" He started to protest.

"Let me do this. You said tonight was about me. I want to do this, I want to give you pleasure."

Pushing him back on the bed, she moved to kneel on the floor. She lowered her mouth to him and began to kiss the tip, running her tongue along the slit.

His breathing became erratic and he clutched at her hair, encouraging her as she started to run her tongue down one side and up the other, one hand gently massaging his balls while the other gripped his good thigh. He started to squirm underneath her talented lips and his hips gave an involuntary thrust as she suddenly took him almost fully into her mouth. "Oh, god." He gasped, the warm feeling of her mouth flooding his body with lust.

She hummed at his exclamation and he groaned again. "God, Allison." Her head bobbed as she started to work his manhood and he shook his head, trying to regain control of his body. "If you don't stop, the finish isn't going to be the way I planned."

She paused and stared up at him with her big doe eyes, her fingers still running lightly on his dick. He yanked her up and tossed her onto the bed, his eyes on fire with a blazing passion that would only be sated by what was to come.

She giggled and watched as he crawled as best he could towards her, a predatory look in his eyes. She reached out to him, inviting him to take her.

He gave her a predatory grin and dove in between her legs to feast on the dripping mound that had been tormenting him all night. She screamed when she felt his rough stubble scraping at the flesh and she grabbed the back of his head, pushing him closer, closer. "More! Oh, god, Greg. More!"

He obliged and proceeded to roll his tongue around her hard nub causing her to squirm and moan. He thrust his tongue into her cavern and reached up with his hand to press on her clitoris, her hips bucking at the contact. "Oh, Greg!" She screamed as she bucked beneath him. She could feel an intense pleasure that she had only felt once or twice before. It began at the tip of her head and quickly cascaded throughout her entire body. She screamed as she came, the rush of fluid filling his senses, and he lapped it up eagerly, immensely pleased with himself.

He sucked, nipped, and kiss his way back up to her lips and devoured her mouth, allowing her to taste herself on his tongue. He paused at her entrance, his eyes searching hers for any sign for him to stop.

"Take me, Greg." Her eyes were practically demanding that he continue.

He needed no further prompting. Despite the fact that it wasn't their first time, he wanted it to be perfect.

Her fluttering walls around his solid dick felt like pure heaven. He couldn't remember the last time sex felt this good. A thought passed through his mind that it had become lovemaking long before this night and he thrust harder at the thought. It was his goal to make her come once more before he did.

Pressing down again on her clit with his fingers, he continued to pump into her despite the ache in his leg. He was close and he could tell that she was as well. With two more erratic pumps, they both came. Her fluttering walls only further increased his pleasure and he buried his face into her shoulder to keep from shouting as loud as he could, settling instead for biting the skin. Her hands were clutching the back of his head as she came, almost sobbing from the sheer painful pleasure he had given her.

He collapsed on to the bed, halfway on top of her and she slowly ran her fingers through his short hair. He turned his face to face her and she smiled at him lazily. He returned that smile and moved so they could slide under the sheets. She curled up against his chest and tucked her head under his chin, almost promptly falling asleep.

**Safe again to read!**

It was a timeless dance, one that had been completed countless times before and would happen countless times after. It was in the blissful moments that follow climax that Greg House realized something. If this woman ever left him, he would be left with a hollow shell that was himself. Nothing would be the same.

The ground would thaw in the spring after a hard winter and the rain would fall to make grass grow again. The seeds would root and bloom into flowers. The children would dance and play. The stars would gleam in the night sky. The poets would still dream and the eagles would still fly. The earth would turn, the sky would burn.

But he would die without her.

The breeze would warm the smiling girl. The clouds would move through the sky and the tides would change. The boys would run and the oceans would crash. The crowds would still roar, the days still soar by in a blur. The babies would cry in hunger, anger, and sadness. The moon would glow with its iridescent light. The rivers would flow with their crystal clear waters from mountain glaciers.

But he would die without her.

The world would revive itself and the colors renew themselves. But all he would know would be blue, the horrid loneliness of blue. Within himself he would blue, depressed, _alone_.

Without her, other's hands would grope for what they lost, their ear would hear the sound of their love near by, and their pulse would still beat for the love of their lives.

Without her, people's eyes would still gaze, their legs would walk, and their lungs would still breath in the precious oxygen. The minds of those around would churn with their thoughts, their hearts burn with passion, their tears dry with the apologies of those who hurt them.

Without her, life would go on.

But he would be gone.

Because without her he would die.

But could he ask the one of the two questions that would keep her beside him for all eternity?

Could he ask her to move in with him? Was he ready to ask the question?

There were two endings he could see to that question. First, she could say no, leave him, and move far away. Or second, she'd squeal, say yes, and demand that they get married.

He wasn't sure he could handle the second one and he knew that he couldn't handle the first.

He had always determined that marriage wasn't for him. The commitment, the sacrifices that must be made, and the clinginess that always seems to develop.

_No,_ he decided as he muffled a deep cough, _I'm happy the way things are._ He coughed again and frowned. _I hope I'm not getting sick._

He smoothed Allison's hair down and allowed himself to follow her into a dreamless sleep.

xXx

AN: Extra points for those of you who catch where the almost-last part is technically from.


	20. Disappointments, Arguments, and Changes

Story Title: Touch of Destiny

Chapter 20: Disappointments, Arguments, and Changes

Chapter summery: What will happen to Chase now that his secret is found out?

xXx

Disclaimer: Not mine, unless you don't recognize a character. Then it is mine, and you shouldn't take it. Such as….Dotty Myers, Kate Johnston, and Mark Fredric are all mine.

AN: This chapter was interesting to write. VERY interesting to write. Whew. Too much drama in this story, though I suppose that any relationship with House is bound to have a _ton_ of drama, especially with his massive amount of insecurities, along with all the wonderful plot twists one can produce with all the MASSIVE plot holes the series has left, such as Cameron's past, Foreman's life, etc. Anyone mad that I got rid of Chase?

Next chapter will be up when chapter 22 is halfway done.

xXx

Bellydancerakn: I actually understood what you said in German! I took German for like three weeks, a self-study, I guess. I can count, and do colors. But I can read and understand it a whole lot more than I can speak or understand verbally. Yay! Lol. Thanks for the review!

Obsessedwithstabler: lol! I will never see my own chap stick the same way either. (gulp) See, I _don't_ see her as kinky at all. But I'm glad you liked it! Don't count on there being any more. Maybe near the end…if you update Hide and Seek! (evil grin) I love blackmail.

This-Family-Affair: The almost-last part is from RENT! Yay! Glad you liked it!

SeriouslyJess: Extra points for you! I really don't like Chase, especially since Cameron's moved in with him in the series, I think…

AllisonCammie: Not the end! I promise! And maybe he does in cannon…we just don't see it. Haha! Oh well, I try.

ShipperCrazed – FanFicCrazy: I'm glad you liked it. First time I ever tried writing smut. Meh, oh well. About the vial….didn't think of that…hmm

sabu53: I ain't that mean to House. Chase maybe….but not House. And I'm glad you liked the smut. Lol

KyGirl03: Glad you liked it. Hope it didn't get _too_ hot in your room for you!

Dannielynn: Yay for RENT! Yes you did. I love that song. Hehe!

ColorOfAngels: That was the point. And I love a good Cameron/Wilson friendship. Remember, House is a very insecure man. It's going to take awhile…

Sweetgreuy: I loved that part. I think it fits for where the story is headed, as well as their relationship.

WhoKMH: He's working on it. Don't worry; it will all happen in time. He will get past his massive insecurity and become a fluffy bunny. ):**-/** ------ this is my skeptical face. Dr. House as a fluffy bunny? Please. Being smothered in a huge pile of easy cheese the size of the Eiffel Tower is more likely. But seriously. He will mature in his reactions involving Allison.

Orchidae: Thanks! I'm glad you like it!

Sour Pickle: "'Cuz everything is rent!" Yeah, it's a great musical. (grin) Glad you liked the chapter!

Boochan82: Yes, you get brownie points. I love RENT! And thanks for the complement. I really was unsure about the whole smut scene.

Akida20: If I had a guy that wouldn't leave me alone like he was doing to her…lol. I'm glad you liked the chapter!

SilvaK: I'm glad you liked it! That was my whole point with the smut. I won't write pointless sex. It has to mean something.

xXx

A knock on her office door once again interrupted the Dean of Medicine's early morning work. "Come in." She said without looking up.

"Good morning, Lisa."

A smile crossed Cuddy's face. "Good morning, Allison." She glanced at the clock with a frown. "What brings you here this early? I thought you weren't going to be here until 9."

Cameron winced slightly. "Yes, well. Plans can change, especially when one is in a relationship with Dr. House."

Cuddy nodded knowingly, motioning for her to continue.

"He's ill." She said finally.

Cuddy just raised an eyebrow incredulously.

"No, really. He's sick." Cameron sighed. "He was coughing last night. Deep and harsh. I knew that he'd wake up during the night."

"Let me guess. He did."

"Yes. But I don't think he realized that I woke up, too." She grinned wryly. "However, how can one sleep through that deep of coughing?"

Cuddy laughed. "I know no one who can, except for maybe a rock. Thank-you for letting me know. I'll find someone to cover for him. Can you…?"

Cameron shook her head regretfully. "I'm giving him until about halfway through the day to give me a call. Besides, I think that Foreman is more than qualified enough to take over for the day."

"I'll just ask Wilson to check on them once in awhile, then." Cuddy seemed to agree with Cameron. "I'll just call Foreman…"

"I can do that." Cameron interrupted. "I was heading up to the department anyway. I'll just hang around there for a bit until Foreman shows up."

Cuddy seemed grateful. "Thank-you, Allison."

"You are most welcome. You seem busy enough. I can manage this one simple task."

"Just come back here at 9 so I can give you your huge stack of paperwork that you need to start with."

Cameron made a face and Cuddy laughed.

"I'll be back at 9 or so." Cameron smiled and headed out the door to the elevator up.

There was no one in the diagnostics department so she, out of habit, headed towards the coffee maker.

"Oh, ho no you don't!" A voice halted her in her steps. She turned to see Wilson pointing a finger at her from the door way. "Remember, no more slave labor?"

"I know." She tried not to laugh at his admonishing pose. "But you see, Greg is sick, so he's not telling me to do this. I'm simply doing this because I want coffee."

"Well that's different. Wait. Explain something to me." Wilson seemed genuinely confused. "House is sick…and you're here? Why?"

Cameron gave him a strange look. "Greg is sick. He's cranky enough when he's_ not_ sick. Do you honestly think he wants me around when he's feeling like shit?"

"Well, no, but you're his…"

"Look. If he wants me there, he'll call me."

"Well…I guess…" His words came to a screeching halt as Cameron's phone went off.

She glanced at the clock. 8:30. "See. Told you so." Cameron smirked and answered the phone. "Dr. Cameron."

xXx

From the moment he woke up, House knew that he was sick, and he hated it. Not only because he felt like total crap, but because he was awake at 8:10 in the morning without an alarm clock.

He has suspected he might be sick last night, but wouldn't believe it. Normally, he'd be fine with having a reason to take a day off, but he knew that since Cameron had spent the night, she'd be hounding over him like a mother hen. He knew that there was no way she could have slept though his coughing.

With a groan, he opened his eyes and was surprised to find not Cameron, but a note next to a small plate with some pills sitting on it and a glass of water next to the note. He took note of the pills she laid out for him before the note. Vitamin C, B, Zinc, and…ah, yes, there it was…vicodin. He picked up the note and read it slowly.

_Greg,_

_Take these, no questions asked. They'll help you feel better. Call if you need me._

_Al._

He swung his legs over the side of the bed and sat up, instantly regretting it as his head swam and he saw white and black spots flood his vision. With a groan, he swallowed the pills and slowly made his way to the kitchen, not bothering trying to find his cane. It was empty except for a loaf of bread next to his toaster and another note.

_I love you._

He let a smile escape despite his pain and shoved a slice of bread into the toaster. He realized that he was slightly disappointed that she wasn't hovering over him, wanting to be at his beck and call.

_Great, first I don't want her around, now I do._

He rolled his eyes and snatched the now toasted bread out of the toaster. Without bothering to butter it, he started crunching on the slice of toast, mulling over his possibilities. He could suffer in misery alone, or he could call Allison, have some company for the day, and endure her over-protectiveness. It took him all of 5 seconds to pick up the phone and dial the familiar number.

An amused voice answered. "Dr. Cameron."

"I need you here." House whined, his head pounding. Damn, he really did want her home if he was whining and moaning like a baby.

"You know, I was almost sure that I'd go at least half of the day without hearing from you."

"Oh and why was that?" He asked, his tone somewhat insulted.

"You don't like to be babied." She said simply, ignoring the insulted tone he had adopted.

"Hmph."

She could tell that he was pouting as she laughed. "I'll be there in a half an hour."

"Why not sooner?"

"I have to write a note for Foreman and tell Cuddy that I'm leaving."

"Hmph."

With that, he disconnected the call, missing her laugh at the sound of his disgruntled tone.

xXx

"Greg?" Cameron opened the unlocked door and peaked in. A quick glance around told her that he wasn't in the living room.

"Get your stunning ass in here." His hoarse voice sounded from his bedroom.

Her eyes narrowed slightly until he added quickly, as if he had sensed her unasked question. "I'm not naked, I'm not tied to the bed, and I'm not waiting to be sexed. I just got dizzy is all and my bed was closer than the couch."

She locked the door behind her and headed across the floor to the doorway to his room. He really did look pathetically sick with beads of sweat dotting his face and his arm slung across his forehead. He was lying on top of the covers, still in his pajamas. His eyes were closed though they opened briefly to look at her when he heard her at the door.

"Hi." He muttered before laying his head back and closing his eyes once more. "I'm glad you're here."

"Me too." She agreed, moving to sit on the side of his bed. His eyes opened when he felt the bed shift. She felt his forehead and frowned slightly. "You have a fever."

"No shit." He grumbled before wincing. "Sorry, I'm a really bad patient."

She smirked. "I know. Remember when you were shot?"

Of course he did, but he didn't say anything. He just nodded and closed his eyes again. "Your hand feels good. Nice and cool. I'm glad you're here, pretty girl. You're the best fellow I've had." His voice slurred as he fell asleep.

She smiled lovingly at him and turned away to go to the kitchen. The things people said when they were sick…he probably wouldn't remember any of it. Besides, he told her himself that he had hired her as lobby art. There was no way that he actually meant that she was the best out of the three of them. She'd give Foreman that title. She shrugged slightly, not letting her mind dwell on his words.

_Might as well clean while I'm here._

She searched under the kitchen sink and under the bathroom sink to gather all the necessary cleaning supplies and set to work, starting with the bathroom. It smelled and looked the worst. She'd move to the kitchen, which was still a disaster area, before cleaning the living room. The piano would be last, she decided.

xXx

When House awoke, the first thing he did was check the clock. Yes, he had indeed fallen asleep because it was now 1 in the afternoon. A clink in the living room told him that he hadn't hallucinated Allison sitting on his bed, unless the noise was Wilson coming to check up on him. He felt his forehead.

_Yup, still have a fever, though it is slight. Not dizzy any more, which is a plus._

He slowly pulled himself out of bed and limped cane-less down to the bathroom. In his fever haze, it took him a moment to realize that something was different. He wrinkled his nose at the smell of bleach and made a face.

_Yup, definitely Allie. Besides, Wilson would have made his presence known already._ He decided as he zipped his pants and rinsed his hands in the sink. He made his leisurely way down the hall towards the living room, he happened to glance into his kitchen.

_Dishes are done. The whole thing practically _shines_ which it hasn't done since I moved in here. Please tell me she didn't touch the piano! Anything in the living room _but_ the piano!_

He slowly turned to look into the kitchen and his jaw nearly dropped. Allison had just finished polishing his piano and was working on the bench. Much to his surprise, she was holding the correct cleaner in her hand instead of setting it on the top of the piano like most people would do. She had a loving touch as she finished polishing the bench and he swallowed hard.

_Only a true pianist would take those measures to be extra careful._

She glanced up and met his eyes. To her credit, she didn't appear startled. In fact, she grinned at him and he found himself grinning weakly back. He still wasn't feeling that good.

She put the cleaning rag in the same hand as the cleaner and squeezed his arm as she walked past to put the cleaner away where she had found it. His eyes followed her to the sink and back to him, admiring the way she walked. When she made her way back to him, he pulled her into his arms, both wishing that he wasn't sick. He settled instead for a kiss to the top of her head and she then tucked her head under his chin, her arms wrapped around his waist.

"I wish I weren't sick." He muttered as he felt another wave of tired wash over him.

She seemed to sense this and moved him towards the couch. "Me too, Greg. Me too."

He proceeded to sleep the rest of the afternoon, only waking for brief moments to either use the bathroom or take some more vitamins and vicodin.

xXx

Luckily, his illness seemed to be gone the next morning and was back at work to emotionally demoralize his two remaining ducklings, though he was only there at the insistence of Allison. Her argument was that he was fine and all he did all day anyway was play games, sleep, and avoid clinic. He couldn't argue with her there.

He had developed all sorts of new ideas the previous night because Allison had conked out long before he was able to due to him napping all afternoon.

Though, since she had fallen asleep before him, she was also up long before he wanted to be so she could go home to change, making him about two hours later than she was. She was nice enough to set out a bagel for him even though it was dry and crusty by the time he got around to eating it, though eat it he did. For some reason, he was touched by the fact that she had set out breakfast for him and that overpowered the annoyance he had initially felt at her setting the alarm clock for him and moving it to the other side of the room so that he'd have to get out of bed and move to actually turn the damn thing off.

When he walked in to the hospital, he was stopped by not only Cuddy, but Foreman, Wilson, and Cameron.

"What is this, a mob attack? Should I run away before you all mug me?" House questioned sarcastically, eyeing each one suspiciously. The whole situation would have been hilarious if not for the matching looks of stunned amazement on each one's face.

"Chase's arraignment is in an hour." That was all Cuddy had to say to make House turn on his heel and stalk out to his bike, leaving the other four to follow him.

The four exchanged concerned looks and followed him in Wilson's and Cuddy's car to the courthouse.

xXx

House was frustrated.

Scratch that. He was royally pissed, passed the point where he was when Cuddy held back his vicodin prescription.

Funny thing was that he wasn't pissed at the world, Wilson, Cuddy, or even his father.

No, he was pissed at himself.

He paced in his office, oblivious to the pain in his leg due to the pain in his heart at his Allison's pain. More importantly, at the pain _he_ had caused her.

For all his thoughts about not being able to live without her, he was sure as hell on his way to finding out if he really meant it.

It had only been two full days since Chase had been arrested. The verdict on his case had come in quicker than they thought. At the arraignment, the judge had taken all of five seconds to come to the verdict that the evidence was gathered illegally, therefore leaving no evidence for an actual trial, much to the chagrin of House, Cameron, Foreman, Cuddy, and Wilson.

Chase had been relieved but had sunk in his chair when the judge proclaimed that Cameron had also filed for a restraining order just in case the case fell through. The restraining order had been granted with no chance of being revoked, not that Allison or Greg would even consider it being revoked.

House had been pissed at Cameron for having a backup plan. He had accused her right there at the courtroom that she had planned on Chase going free and was right in with him in plotting to kill him.

It had been a livid Cuddy who had pulled a surprisingly calm Cameron away from House and towards the exit. Cameron had placed a hand on Cuddy's arm and they had halted. Cameron had turned around and gave him a sad look. "I'm sorry you still don't trust me, Greg." With that, the two women had walked off with Foreman following directly behind them after throwing him a hateful look.

The two men remaining had stood there in silence, one saddened by the accusations while the other was starting to feel regretful for the accusations.

"Anger is easy, House. Anger at the right person, at the right time, for the right reason, now _that_ is hard." Wilson had said softly as both he and House watched her walk off with Cuddy and Foreman. "Do something right. Don't be angry at me, don't be angry at Allison. Be angry at the person who deserves your anger. Be angry at Chase. Be angry at the judge for all I care, but don't take it out on the woman who loves you as much as you love her."

Looking back on the incident, House knew that he had made a huge error in judgment of his Allison. It had really hurt him to hear her tell him that he didn't trust her simply because he did trust her. Who he really didn't trust was himself.

With a glance at his computer, he decided that he needed to talk to someone whose advice he hadn't asked for in awhile.

_Kayla, I have a confession to make._

_I am an idiot._

_However, I'm sure Allison has told you that numerous times, and I know that I have. This time is different, though. I need some advice on how to fix what I've caused. Here's what happened this time…_

_I'm not sure if Allison told you about how Joe was stalking her and how he tried to rape her at the hospital. I know you knew about her getting shot. What you probably don't know is that Dr. Robert Chase was the perp behind it all. _

_To make a long story short, he planned on poisoning me which would make it seem like an OD on Vicodin and taking her with him out of the country. Not entirely sure how he planned on doing that, but he never did possess an over-abundance of brains. _

_She managed to capture an important phone conversation on tape to use as evidence against him, but at the arraignment the judge threw it out due to it being received illegally, or something like that. He was also let go to be free among the people of Princeton. Yes, I know, very unusual for an arraignment…but again, I've never accredited the judicial system with an over-abundance of brains either. _

_However, the judge granted her petition for a restraining order on him. I, as usual, reacted in a manner that is more suitable for…well…definitely not her boyfriend, I'll say that much. I accused her of this being her plan all along. That she still loved Chase enough to not have him thrown in prison, so she had the evidence thrown out, and only asked for the restraining order to appease me. _

_Yes, stupid me._

_I can't tell you how ashamed I feel right now that I told her that, hell I ashamed about it then. The look she gave me was heartbreaking. And when she told me that that she was sorry that I still didn't trust her and left with Cuddy and Foreman it was almost as if something in me became empty._

_Here's the catch. I _do_ trust her, which is amazing in itself. I don't even fully trust Wilson, but I completely trust her. _

_I love her._

_I don't know why I said what I did. No, that isn't being honest. Actually, I do know why. I lashed out because I'm insecure. She's right about that, I'll admit that much._

_If you want to disown me, be my guest. I deserve it._

_Greg House_

Much to his surprise and chagrin, it hadn't taken long for the older Cameron to get back to him. He was sitting in his office 10 minutes later working on beating the next level on his monster truck game when the phone rang. With a grunt of annoyance, he answered the phone.

"House."

"Hello, dear."

"Kaeyla, I'm surprised you're still talking to me."

"Why is that? Just because you're an idiot at times doesn't mean you're a bad man, Greg."

"Thanks. I needed that."

"You are most welcome, dear. And I'm very angry to hear that Dr. Chase didn't get what he deserved."

"As are we all, Kaeyla."

"Ah, I never did like that man. Too obsessive, in my opinion."

House laughed. He couldn't help it. "Agreed! Anyway, I needed to talk to you."

"I know, Greg. Here's my advice on how to fix your problem…"

What Kaeyla Cameron proceeded to tell him made House shrink in his chair with a hand on his face. Why did the best solution have to be the last one he wanted to use?

xXx

"I can hide his body so that no one can find it."

Cameron looked up with a laugh to see Foreman standing at her new office door with a huge folder in his hand. "I'll pass, but thank you, Eric."

"You may not thank me when you see what Cuddy told me to give you." He held out the monstrous stack of paperwork and let it slam down on her desk. "She said you were supposed to have it yesterday, but with House sick yesterday and the arraignment today…" He let his voice trail off.

She winced at the force of the thud. "Great. That makes my day much better."

"Yeah, I'm sorry." Foreman said sympathetically. "Cuddy figured that this could help you get your mind off of the happenings of earlier. You know, with Chase and House and all that."

"It's duly noted." She said wryly. "Remind me to send her a thank-you gift that explodes."

He laughed. "I'll do that."

The friends fell into a compatible silence and Foreman took a seat in one of the plushy chairs that occupied her office.

"So, this is a nice office."

"It is, isn't it?" She sighed. "However, it's a bit hard to 'accessorize' your own office when you have practically nothing that is suitable. However, I do have one thing that does suit." She held up a life-size brain mounted on a block of wood with a giant magnifying glass mounted next to it. She handed it to Foreman. "Take a look at this, but don't drop it."

He took it and examined the strange contraption. "This is my brain." He read the sign under the brain and grinned when he saw what the next one said. "This is your brain on a good day." It was a tiny speck that you could only see through the magnifying glass. "House get you this?"

She grinned. "No, my brother Allyn did. But I naturally thought of Greg when I read the captions."

"Naturally." Foreman rolled his eyes good-naturedly. "He _is_ a bit egotistical."

"Just a bit." She said lightly, a soft look in her eyes.

"I know that look." Foreman grinned at her look of annoyance that she shot at him. "Well, I'm going to go. Have fun filling out hours and hours of endless paperwork."

"Thanks. Have fun tormenting Johnston."

"Yeah, and hope that House decides to hire someone to replace Chase. Either that or that Cuddy forces him to hire someone."

Cameron laughed again. "Why? Don't you like being picked on constantly and having a double work load?"

Foreman made a disgusted face. "Please, are you kidding me?"

"Actually…yes, I am."

He groaned. "You really need to stop hanging around House."

She shrugged. "Impossible. I _am_ dating the guy, remember?"

"How can any of us forget with you going all googly-eyed all the time?" He grinned and ducked out of the office before she could throw something at him. "I'll talk to you later!"

"Right." She grinned as he left and shook her head. "All this paperwork. My life is over." She muttered as she pulled out a pen, her reading glasses, and a can of Dr. Pepper. There was no way for her to know that her life was just about to get a little bit more exciting before the day was over.

xXx

House was on his way to follow Kaeyla's advice for Allison, his mind trying to piece it out in his mind. He froze directly outside Cameron's new office when he heard the raised voices of his girlfriend and of a certain blond, Australian wombat. From the sounds of it, they were in a very heated argument. He stopped just short of opening the door, curious as to what they were arguing about. His hand clenched on his cane when he remembered that Allison had placed a restraining order on the man in her office and forced himself to let her take care of the situation.

"You need to understand, Allison!" Chase was yelling by this point. "I did it all for you! To show you that I'm what you need!"

"_You're_ what I need?" Allison started to laugh. "No, _Chase_. Greg is who I need. I don't care that you got off because they couldn't prove the case without the recording. I don't care if you need counseling for this absurd obsession you have with me! I don't know, nor do I want to know, how you got past anyone in the entrance to the hospital. The restraining order holds. Get out of my office before I…"

She never got to finish her statement and Chase never got to make a rebuttal to it. At hearing the words 'restraining order' House barreled into the room to grab Chase by the neck and throw him against the glass wall.

"You bastard!" House growled his cane on the ground forgotten as he tried not to strangle the sorry excuse for a man in front of him. "She has a restraining order that everyone important in the hospital heard about and you still came to where she worked!" He was vaguely aware of Allison standing with her mouth agape behind her desk and focused on her presence to calm himself slightly.

Chase tried to speak but all that came out were warbles that were unintelligible.

"What was that, you British wombat?" House was seeing red. "Was that an 'I'm sorry, Dr. Cameron, I'll leave you and Dr. House alone from here on out because if I don't, I know House will rip out my vocal chords with his bare hands?'"

Chase tried to nod but barely managed a twitch. House thankfully took it as a nod and released him. Chase gasped for air and glared at House from his spot on the ground.

House, ignoring the pain in his leg, bent down next to the man on the floor and glared right back. "Don't mess with me, Robert. I'm very pissed right now and every moment that I see you only makes me angrier. Leave. Don't return. If I ever see you again, nothing will stop me from killing you."

Chase nodded and waited until House backed off before struggling to his feet and exiting the office without a backwards glance.

"So am I supposed to take that as a valiant effort to preserve my innocence?" Allison gave him a soft smile and shuffled some papers on her desk, trying to avoid the stack of paperwork as long as she could.

"That's me, the knight in shining armor." House said sarcastically. "Sadly enough, my valiant steed is in the shop. Will my cane do?"

She sighed melodramatically. "I suppose."

"I've never been a bloody knight in stupid shining armor, you know."

"Well, the knight in shining armor always turns out to be some loser in aluminum foil." Cameron smiled at House. "Like Chase."

He hesitantly and slowly smiled back. "Then it's a good thing that I'm not a knight in shining armor, isn't it?" He sat down in one of her chairs and propped his chin on his cane handle.

The pair sat in comfortably silence while House debated whether or not an apology was still necessary.

"You're forgiven." Cameron said suddenly, never looking up from her paperwork.

"Huh?" House looked up, momentarily shocked.

"You came here for a reason. And since I'm guessing that you thought I was mad at you, the only reason you'd be here is to apologize." She said matter-a-factly.

"Well…yeah." He admitted reluctantly. He looked up to see her smiling at him. "I'm sorry." He said softly. "I over-reacted."

"I love you." She said. "Nothing is going to change that. I'll keep telling you that until it gets through your thick skull."

"Or I die."

"Let's hope you figure it out before that."

"Wouldn't guarantee it."

She laughed and set her pen down. "Now, I think there is something else that accompanies apologies." She mused out loud.

A slow smile crossed House's face as he came to his feet and moved towards her. "Is there? I wonder what that would be?"

"I can take a guess." She pulled him down to her eye level and kissed him firmly. "You are forgiven. Now, let me work."

He was about to protest about leaving her office when his pager went off.

_My office. Cuddy_

House grumbled as he marched out of her office. "I will return!" He threatened, playfully shaking his fist.

Cameron grinned and shook her head, torn between being sad and glad that Greg was leaving. She needed to finish this paperwork before she could take on patients and start getting paid but it would be nice to have some company. She shook her head again. _If Greg were in here, I would get nothing done._ With an agonized groan, she continued on the mountain of papers Cuddy wanted by the next day. _Like that's going to be feasible._

xXx

"You rang?" House poked his head into her office and stared at her with a bored expression on his face.

"House, you need to hire someone to replace Chase." She didn't waste any time getting to the point, motioning for him to sit.

"Ahh, such sweet, sweet music to my ears." House sighed almost happily and leaned back in the chair. "Replacing Chase has been my dream since day one." He frowned. "However, there is one fly in the ointment. The fact that _I_ need to do the hiring."

"You are going to do it. You are not going to make Johnston, Foreman, Wilson, or Cameron do it for you." Cuddy admonished harshly. "You will hire someone and you will do the interviews. And you will hire a man."

"Ewwww." House made a face. "But girls are so much cuter to look at."

"House…" Cuddy said warningly.

"Oh, don't worry, Cuds. I'll hire someone male. And I'll have fun doing it, too."

"Why do I have a bad feeling about this…?" Cuddy muttered.

House mock gasped and held a hand to his chest. "Why, Cuddy, I'm hurt."

"Drama queen." She shot back with a slight grin.

"That's me alright. Don't you want to hear my plan?"

"No, not really."

"First, I'm going to make him brew some coffee." House barreled on as if she hadn't spoken. "No fellow of mine is going to suck at making coffee. Second, he's going to shine my cane with some wood polish, except for the handle of course. It wouldn't do to have me go flying across the room simply because my cane handle was too shiny. Thirdly, he's going to pick up my laundry and wash my car while he does so. Fourthly…"

"House! You are not hiring a servant. You are hiring a _doctor_!" Cuddy screeched.

"Relax, Cuddy." House gave her his 'I so got you there' look. "You are so much fun to tease."

"House, you're dysfunctional." Cuddy groaned, her face buried in her hands.

Dysfunctional? I'm not dysfunctional. I've evolving to the next level. Delusional." House smirked and gave her a little wave. "Toodle-loo, Cuddles. I'm off to carry my woman off into the sunset on my valiant steed." He sauntered out of the office with a jaunty step and a whistle that echoed through the halls, though he could hear her parting remarks.

"You have an interview this afternoon at three!" She yelled so he could hear her. "Wait, carry her where?" Cuddy was left staring at the open door with a confused expression on her face. "Valiant steed?!?"

xXx

"I have returned, oh love of my life." House burst into Allison's office, making her shriek slightly with startlement.

"Why can't you knock like a normal man?" She muttered as she tried to regain the use of her heart, setting her pen down on top of the stack of barely started paperwork.

"I'm not normal." House rebutted teasingly. "Besides, I thought you _liked_ my not-normal-ness."

"Most days." She grinned. "Right now…you almost gave me a heart attack."

House gave a diabolical laugh with a crazed expression on his face and his eyes bugged out comically.

Cameron rolled her eyes. "You are so screwed up."

"I know. You want to know something though?"

"Not really, but I'm pretty sure you going to tell me anyway."

"Screwed up people are great because screwed up people have been through a lot of shit. They know what can happen, they know the problems, because if you've been through a lot of shit in your life, you know every time you see the shit just about to hit the fan...you step to the side of the fan. And all the normal people? Pppffffttt. They get hit right in the face."

Allison stared at him. "Sometimes you can be down right philosophical, in a weird screwed up sort of way."

"And normal people? They need to hook up with some screwed up people. Make us your friends." House continued as if he were making a speech, his fist in the air dramatically.

She laughed. "So that's why I'm dating you." She said sarcastically. "I need someone screwed up so that I can avoid the flying shit of life."

"Yup." House smirked before catching on to what she said. "Wait! I thought you were dating me for my sexy body and dreamy eyes?" He joked, flipping imaginary long hair over his shoulder.

"There's that, too." She said in a wry tone, her eyes twinkling.

"Damn straight." He seemed proud of himself. "Ain't nothing that can beat my blue eyes and my rock solid abs. Monster trucks couldn't crush me, no sir."

"Drama queen." She unknowingly mimicked Cuddy as she closed her computer and shoved it into her bag. "Oh, that reminds me…" She shuffled through her purse until she found what she was looking for. "What are these, and how did they get into my computer without me seeing who did it?" Cameron held out two tickets that had fallen out of her computer when she opened it.

House tried to look innocent. "Never seen them before."

"Uh huh." Cameron wasn't convinced. "Well, if you've never seen them before, maybe someone else was interested in taking me to the motocross. I wonder if Wilson is free that night…" She stood up to start looking for Wilson and grinned inside when House moved quickly to stop her, a sour expression on his face.

"Oh, hell no." House nearly yelled as he grabbed her by the waist to pull her back away from the door before standing in front of the door, one hand on the frame and the other on his cane. He glared at her. "I spent _way_ too much on them for you to go with _Wilson_ of all people!"

"Gotcha." Cameron smirked and waved the tickets at him. "I'm leaving here at 5:30 to go home."

"Why would I care about that?" House asked nonchalantly, a bit miffed that she actually managed to pull one over him.

She shrugged. "No reason. Just that I'm going home…alone…and I'm planning on waiting for someone to come over. If he doesn't, I might just call Wilson and…"

House moved to her, covered her mouth with his hand, and glared at her. "Again with the Wilson thing. Are you _sure _nothing is going on between you two?"Her eyes twinkled at him impishly and he knew that he had been had once again. "You little minx." He removed his hand and spanked her bottom lightly. "I'm going to let you go back to work. Don't come bothering me in the diagnostics department!"

"Yes, Massa." She said in a mock pitiful tone. "Anything else for you before you leave me here to slave away on this horrid paperwork?"

"Actually, yes." House pulled her to him and gave her a short kiss. "Now I can go. I have an interview to complete before I leave. It shouldn't take too long. Don't play with any little interns minds, Allie dear!"

She was smiling as he left her office in the immunology wing to go back to his own in the diagnostics wing. Life with Greg wasn't boring, she'd give him that much.

xXx

"I hate interviews, so this is going to be very short." House said abruptly as he burst into the room, sat down, and began to stare at the man sitting calmly at the desk in front of him. His dark blond hair was just long enough to have some curl in it, but short enough so that it didn't make him look like Shirley Temple.

"Understandable, Dr. House. And I hate sitting through interviews. We're at an agreement there."

A slow smile crossed House's face as he regarded the man. "Your name is Mark Fredrick?"

"Yes sir." The man gave a short nod.

"Can you make coffee?"

"My roommate in college always seemed to enjoy it."

"What's your specialty?"

"Isn't that in my profile?"

"Yes, but I don't want to read it."

"Very well. I started in trauma surgery but decided to add cardiology to my repertoire. So I am an Intensivist as well as a Cardiologist. I've wanted to be a doctor ever since I saw the inside of a hospital during a first grade fieldtrip. I've wanted to be nothing else since."

House nodded briefly. This man was impressing him in a good way. He was better than Chase ever could have been in a hundred years. He was calm, collected, and didn't challenge every thing House said. Of course, Chase had never wanted to be a doctor anyway, so maybe that had something to do with it. He stared at him a bit longer. When Mark didn't wince, shift, or blink, House gave a brief grin before standing. "You're hired. You can either start now or in the morning at 8:30."

"If you don't mind, I'll start in the morning. I still need to finish unpacking."

House gave him a look. "You already got an apartment when you didn't know you were going to get this job?"

Mark grinned. "I had another interview set up for 4 o'clock at Princeton General." At House's incredulous look, he added. "I know your reputation for making interviewees cry. I figured I'd better have a backup plan in case this didn't work and you somehow broke me and made me cry. Besides, they were begging me to skip the interview with you. But I am very glad I came here instead. I look forward to working with you." He nodded in House's direction and headed towards the door.

"Fredrick, one thing else."

"You hate suck-ups. I know"

House just stared slightly open mouthed as Mark left the diagnostics wing. A slow smile crossed his face. "I think he'll do just fine here."

xXx

AN: Here is the list of important Doctors now employed at PPTH, including the ones you know, with the descriptions of looks and personalities as well as some random information that I added in my story. I don't know or remember _any_ of the main characters ages, so I'm making them up. Chase is _not_ included. If I _am_ wrong about something that the show mentions, message me; don't put it in the review. That would be much appreciated. This is mainly for those who don't really watch the show much, as well for everyone who wants to meet my characters.

Dr. Greg House, MD: Age: 45. He is Head of Diagnostics with a double specialty in infectious diseases and nephrology. He has short, darkish brown hair that is slightly thinning and brilliant blue eyes. He is practically a genius, but is a complete bastard towards everyone, including his patients, Wilson who is one of his only friends, and Cuddy who is his boss. The only people he is remotely human to include Dr. Cameron, her mom, and his mom. He is in a dating relationship with Dr. Cameron, though is unsure if he wants to take it further than where they are now. He has a fellowship that consists of three people, two of who are new. Drs. Foreman, Johnston, and Fredrick are his 'ducklings'.

Dr. Allison Cameron, MD: Age: 34. She is the new Head of Immunology and her specialty is Immunology and has a vast knowledge of diagnostics due to having completed her fellowship under Dr. House. She has medium length brown hair and is a small built woman with greenish grey eyes that have brown lightly laced through that seems to change colors with her moods. She isn't the smartest woman in the hospital, but she has her areas which have expanded due to her fellowship under Dr. House. She sees the good in everyone and is currently in a serious relationship with Dr. House. She is content where they are, though she wouldn't be averse to going a step further. She is good friends with Drs. Wilson and Foreman.

Dr. Eric Foreman, MD: Age: 35. He is still in a fellowship under Dr. House until the current Head of Neurology retires. His specialties include neurology and diagnostics due to working under Dr. House. He can also break into houses and cars due to where he was raised, though he never uses that skill unless required of him by Dr. House. He is a tall, black man with a no-nonsense attitude towards life. He used to fear turning into Dr. House because they have the same type of personality, but has decided that he doesn't have to be like him. Instead, he has forced himself to remain polite and caring towards his patients. He is friends with Dr. Cameron and enjoys teasing her about her relationship with Dr. House. He is currently in a dating relationship with a woman by the name of Candice Petra, who no one in the hospital has met yet.

Dr. Kate Johnston, MD: Age: 29. She is a recently graduated doctor who has just started in her fellowship under Dr. House as the Immunologist who replaced Dr. Cameron. Her first assignment as a doctor was to help diagnose Chase. She screwed up the test which resulted in her losing any respect that House might have had for her as a doctor. She must now prove her worth as a doctor. She is a curly haired red-head with a medium build and green eyes with dark grey edges. Her personality would rival House's in the nasty attitude department and won't let anyone push her around. Some people in college and med-school referred to her as "The Worthless Smart Bitch." She never told anyone that she hated the name because she had no one to tell. She works hard now to prove herself as someone who is worth something, though the bitch attitude still shows now and again, especially when she feels threatened. She is still trying to adjust to Princeton and hopes that she will survive in working under House. She is not married, dating, nor interested. Her main focus is surviving her first year as a doctor.

Dr. Mark Fredrick, MD: Age: 38. He is the one Dr. House hired to replace Dr. Chase as the intensivist. However, he also has creds in cardiology, which Dr. House viewed as a plus. He is a relatively short man, only 5' 6" tall, with dark blond hair is just long enough to have some curl in it, but short enough so that it doesn't make him look like a little girl. He is very patient, which is a plus in working for Dr. House. He's also very matter-of-fact and is eager to learn about diagnosis. He has a gentle disposition but can easily compete in a battle of sarcasm. He's been a doctor for about five years and is transferring from Boston General so he can learn from Dr. House. He is not married or dating, but is not against the idea of dating as long as he can find someone _outside_ the hospital.

Dr. James Wilson, MD: Age: 44. Dr. Wilson is Head of Oncology and is one of Dr. House's only friends. He also doubles as Dr. House's conscious which has been his job since college, though his job is slowly being usurped by Dr. Cameron. He is also good friends with Dr. Cameron which had Dr. House slightly jealous for a bit, though that has been addressed and conquered. He is of medium height and build, has brown hair, brown eyes, and a sense of humor that evens out Dr. House's sarcasm. He seems to have a complex that projects the aura of being 'emotionally needy' as Dr. House puts it, though Dr. Wilson objects to that idea. He is one of the only people who can put up with House's inane ideas and plans, though he is also one of the only people who will stand up to him about it. He has been married three times and has just divorced his most recent wife, Julie.

Dr. Lisa Cuddy, MD: Age: 45. Dr. Cuddy is the Dean of Medicine, which essentially means that she runs the whole hospital, though some day's she'd rather be practicing medicine again. She is a relatively tall woman and has wavy brown hair and grey-ish blue eyes. She is one of Dr. House's only friends and has known him since college. She puts up with his shenanigans only because he is the best doctor in the hospital. She is seemingly obsessed with her 'baby' as House jokingly calls the hospital and longs to be a mother, though she has yet to find the right man. Maybe he's right in front of her, we wonder…


	21. Rules, Tests, and Realizations

Story Title: Touch of Destiny

Chapter 21: Rules, Tests, and Realizations

Chapter summery: Fredrick starts his new job; House puts them to the test and finally realizes something about himself.

xXx

Disclaimer: Not mine, unless you don't recognize a character. Then it is mine, and you shouldn't take it. Such as….Dotty Myers, Kate Johnston, and Mark Fredrick are all mine.

AN: So I hope that this chapter meets all ya'lls expectations. And I hope that you like the new doctor. To be honest, I wasn't _trying_ to make ya'll hate Kate. Oh well. There's one in every family…or in this case one in every fellowship…

Oh, and I now have an LJ site!

http:// miss-skittle . livejournal . com (no spaces)

I don't have any stories and such as of yet…but we're working on it. Any tips on how to have those nifty cool links for my stories/chapters….that would be helpful. I have _no_ idea how to do that.

xXx

Obsessedwithstabler: Lol. I can't count either. So I inspired you, did I? I can't wait to read it. And you will probably be dead after the next chapter of hide and seek. I hate you already for it.

Bellydancer: I'm glad you enjoyed it. I think Mark Fredrick will work out. We'll see what House does to him….

LittleDragonfly23: I love inventing words. Haha! Thanks for the review!

Sweetgreuy: Lol! No, he won't. We'll have _enough_ drama in the plot to come.

ShipperCrazed – FanFicCrazy: I think 21 pages on word is my max thus far. Whew. I'm glad you're liking it!

Dannielynn: Yes, yes you did. Thanks!

KyGirl03: Yeah, I actually didn't want to write out a whole dang trial. But, since Chase got off scott free….that leaves it open. MWAHAHA!

SilvaK: Glad you liked it! I try and make it funny, because I hate sad stuff…

whoKMH: She told him to apologize. House was being his stupid self and didn't really want to. As for his relationship with her mother, no, she really doesn't know the full extent of it. She will soon.

This-Family-Affair: I'm glad you like the new doc!

Emmy1512: I might throw some in…if that is the desire of the majority.

CameronSister: I'm glad you enjoyed it! That is a whole lot of reading for one day!

NM 42: Lol! I love it when people talk to me!

Boochan82: lol! Oops…I do frequently mistype many words, even names I make up spellings for… Thanks for pointing it out and thanks for the review! I love it when people love my writing!

xXx

"Foreman, Johnston, here is your new co-worker." House pointed to Mark Fredrick before sauntering into his office. "Play nicely, now! No hazing allowed, except by me. Foreman, instruct the two new ducklings on my rules, will you?"

Foreman rolled his eyes. "Of course. It's what I do here, after all. I'm not a neurologist. I'm the headmaster of the school for brand new baby ducks."

"Just give them the rules, you whiner." House said with an annoyed expression as he disappeared from sight.

Foreman sighed before looking at the two newest doctors. The newest fellows in turn looked at the tall black man expectantly. Foreman hid an evil grin. This could prove to be quite interesting…

He began to write on the whiteboard, writing numbers 1-10 out on the board. "Rule number 1: Dr. Cameron is actually the goddess Aphrodite incarnate."

"She is?" House's voice could be heard through the glass. "She didn't tell me that!"

Foreman laughed. He couldn't help it with House and his eager sounding voice. "Oh she didn't? Guess she forgot that important bit of information. Rule number 2: Dr. Cameron only _seems_ innocent. She is, in fact, quite the seductress. Just ask Dr. House."

"You're pushing it now, Foreskin! Give them the _real_ rules." House ordered loudly. "As interesting as these rules could end up being…"

"Real rule number 1." Foreman interrupted with a small grin. "Dr. House is always right. Rule number 2: You are always wrong. Rule number 3: Don't question the first two rules. Rule number 4: Don't oogle Dr. Cameron."

"That is not an official rule!" House yelled from his office. "But we can always add on because if they do oogle Dr. Cameron, they'll be belching splinters for a month! Don't forget about my whiteboard, which you're lucky that I'm not beating you with my cane, Foreman."

"Rule number 5: Only House can use the whiteboard. Rule number 6: If you have to seek counseling due to this job, see Dr. Cuddy about the payment. There is a whole fund set aside for that."

"I didn't know that!" House hollered. "Why'd she do that?"

"Think about it for a minute!" Foreman hollered back before continuing the list. "Rule number 7: the moment that you accepted this job is the moment that you forfeited your right to a private life. Believe me, we found out the hard way. Rule number 8: Prepare to be unethical. Rule number 9: if the patient isn't interesting, we won't take it. And rule number 10: prepare to be mocked continually and frequently, usually with no preemptive action on the mock-ees part."

"Don't forget about the coffee!"

Foreman rolled his eyes again. "Number 11: if you screw up the coffee, House will berate you for the rest of eternity and you will be banned from the coffee maker. Either that or he will tie it to your feet and you will have a very abrupt meeting with Davy Jones."

House walked back into the main room. "Very good, Foreman. Now, students, write all this down. There will be a test tomorrow."

"What?" Kate seemed genuinely shocked. "A test? That's not fair!"

Mark rolled his eyes. "He's not serious."

"That's what you think." Foreman muttered with a hidden grin.

"He's serious?" Mark asked hesitantly.

"Rule number 12: Everybody lies." House scrawled the rule underneath everything else and smirked evilly. "I just said that to see your reactions. Nice to see that it takes more to set off Fed-ex here's gullibility than the Jackson the ditz."

Kate opened her mouth to defend herself but shut it again, settling instead for glaring at House.

"And she's slowly learning!" House mocked applauded and turned to Foreman. "Now, my last smart duckling, why don't you tell us about our next case?"

Before he could begin, Cameron poked her head in. "Greg, I need to…Oh, did you hire someone to replace Chase?"

"Yes. Twiddle-dumb is replaced here with a more intelligent life-form, though he has yet to prove himself as such."

"All in due time, Dr. House." Was all Mark said.

Cameron hmmmed in approval. He didn't seem to be too cocky or an idiot, which was a nice change from Chase who had been far to into himself to be healthy.

"Hmmm, this seems interesting, something I'd love to take part in. Too bad I don't work here anymore." She turned to leave but was halted when House chucked his oversized tennis ball at her back.

He gave her a faux innocent look and pointed to the whiteboard with his cane. "I give you permission to write the symptoms on my board, girly 'g's' and all."

"I do start taking on patients today, Greg." She rolled her eyes and read the list. "How about rule 13: it is okay to hire on strictly a looks basis."

"Of course it….wait!" House pointed at her, smiled, and said in a gossipy-teenage voice. "You just said that because…oh you! You almost got me there."

"I thought I already had you, Greg." She said innocently and walked over to the board. Ignoring the shocked looks of the two new fellows, she picked up and proceeded to _use_ House's precious pens after erasing Foreman's rules.

"Aphrodite? I'm flattered, Foreman. And, please. No oogling me?" She questioned with an eye roll. "Kind of hard to avoid if I'm Aphrodite. I guess you break that one everyday, Greg." Before he could reply, she continued. "Okay, symptoms are…" She paused as she finished the list with a flourish before reading it with a slight frown.

"Man had brain cancer and having it removed rendered him brain dead 8 years ago. Is in constant pain due to leg muscles atrophying. Rolled himself into a pool in an attempt to kill himself." She grinned inwardly and turned to House. "Are you serious?"

He nodded slightly and winked at her subtly before heading into his office. "Foreman, follow me! Johnston, Fredrick, you have three hours. Here is the patient history." He pulled a box from under the table and dumped it onto the table. "Use only what's in here to diagnose the kid. Have fun!"

The two he mentioned glanced at each other worriedly. "I've been here for five minutes and he's already putting me to the test? These aren't…_symptoms_! They're…they're a description!" Mark asked, confused and flustered.

Kate sighed with a shake of her head, moving towards the coffee pot. "Get used to it. It only gets worse from here, or at least I'm assuming. You _can_ make coffee, right?" She asked before she poured a cup.

House poked his head out of the door and pushed the record button. "I am both timing and recording you. Work!" He told them before locking the door and closing the blinds.

"You are seriously giving them a case we had two years ago?" Cameron spoke in hushed tones, staring at him with a gleeful grin on her face.

House shrugged his grin matching hers. "Why not? I did it to you guys."

Foreman sighed and Cameron laughed. He did have a point. He had given them false cases plenty of times to keep them on their toes.

"So what am_ I_ supposed to do?" Foreman questioned.

House looked up, pretending to think. "Play dumb, if it's possible for you to." He said with a raise of the eyebrows before heading back into the diagnostics room, Foreman and Cameron close behind.

"Was that a complement?" Foreman stage-whispered to Cameron.

"I'd take it as one." She whispered loudly back. They shared a grin before focusing again on House.

"I'll give you a hint." House announced to the confused pair. When he had their attention, he added unhelpfully. "Think abnormal. Very abnormal."

"Thank you." Mark said dryly. "That helps a lot."

"It should." Cameron muttered with a wry grin at House. "Let me know if they solve it. I'm going back to my office to finish paperwork."

"I know what to do for the leg pain." Mark spoke up before Allison could disappear.

"And what is that?" She asked.

"Tendon surgery. Extending the tendons will make him more comfortable."

"Good." House said approvingly. "Keep going, there's more."

"More?" Kate echoed in confusion. "He's a brain-dead man! There is nothing more that can be done for him!"

"I think that I'll join you, Cameron. Maybe there is something that I can do to help." Foreman offered with a glance at House who was currently glaring at Kate.

House eyed Foreman for a long moment before nodding. "Be my guest. You'd give away all the answers anyway." He pulled out his gameboy and turned it on, kicking his feet up and relaxing. "You have two hours and 50 minutes remaining." He announced without glancing at the two new doctors. "Johnston, you're an idiot. You might want to look in to that."

She rolled her eyes again and flipped through the man's medical chart once more.

"There's way too much information here to remember it all." She groaned.

"I have an idea." Mark mused. "Dr. House, if I may use the glass between your office and the conference room?"

House gave a nod without looking up. "Be my guest. Another point for Fredrick's intelligence. Again, Johnston. Start trying to fix your idiocy. Start using your mind, if you even have one."

Mark grabbed a marker and wrote out 1998. "Okay, let's go over everything. Anything that could be relevant, we write down."

"But that is going to take hours!" Kate protested.

"Then we'd better get started." Mark said calmly. When she didn't move, he groaned. "You got a better idea?" When she didn't respond, he nodded. "Start reading from the beginning."

The pair spent two hours on the list of symptoms going over symptoms out loud after Mark wrote them down on the glass before Mark suddenly gave a yelp and dove for the bookshelf, yanking off one and flipping through it.

"Ah ha!" He said excitedly. "There! Addison's disease!"

He pointed to the words _Addison's disease_ and Kate just rolled her eyes at him.

House looked up from his game, intrigued. "Explain please, Fredrick, how Addison's is an explanation for this case."

"It fits if you take in the fact that from his patient file you learn that he had a brain tumor removed 8 years prior to driving his wheelchair into their pool. The circumventricular system senses cytokines released in the early stages of the immune response, but CVOS releases prostaglandins that reset the hypothalamic set point upward unless it's countered by antipyretic therapy." At Kate's blank look, he explained further. "His brain is on fire. Literally, it's on fire. The suicide attempt was actually not a suicide attempt in the slightest. He drove his wheelchair into the pool because he couldn't regulate his body temperature and he was overheating. He had a hypothalamic dysregulation."

"But fixing hypothalamic dysregulation won't regenerate brain cells." House leaned back to see what his newest doctor would do. "How would fixing his dysregulation help him?"

"Ah, but if the scar tissue on his hypothalamus just happens to be resting against the pituitary gland, the adrenals would shut down, causing his apparent brain damage. Ergo, minimal brain damage. It's Addison's disease."

"No scar tissue on his MRI or CT scans. Addison's is presented with scar tissue that is apparent on both." House was enjoying this and was eagerly waiting for his answer.

"Judging from the file and the different tests already done, his brain is functional, and even though his temperature is normal and there _appears_ to be nothing wrong with his hypothalamus or his pituitary, nothing is conclusive. The scans could be off and with a simple shot of cortisone he'll walk and talk again. If it isn't Addison's, then there is nothing more that any of us can do for him anyway. The cortisone won't harm him in anyway. Either way, we have nothing to lose."

House stared at him in shock, though through his carefully school features he gave none of his surprise away, instead keeping the same almost stern look on his face. The new doctor had done exactly what he had done and had come to the same conclusions without having to stand in a fountain before banging on Cuddy's door at 11 o'clock at night. "Good work. You get an A+. Your patient, after being injected with the cortisone and with the proper therapy and heaps of Viagra, was able to have sex with his wife once more."

"Wait." Kate said suspiciously. "You mean that this was all fake?"

"No." House said, offended. "I would never give a _fake_ patient. It's also not what I said. We cured him over a year ago." He pushed stop on the recorder and removed the tape, marking it as _evidence that I'm always right_ and put a sticky note on it with Cuddy's name.

Mark refrained from rolling his eyes. "Besides, if you took a look at the date in which the file was created, you would've known that it wasn't recent." He muttered ignoring the glare Kate sent his way.

"Don't worry, little one. You'll learn soon enough." House said in a patronizing tone, patting her on the head as if she were a small child that didn't understand why the leaves turn brown and fall off the trees. He crossed his eyes and stuck out his tongue at her glare shot now in _his_ direction.

"Keep making that face and it'll stick." Wilson warned as he walked into the office. "I'm looking for Allison. I'm still wanting to give her a somewhat of a farewell bash this afternoon."

"She is in her office."

Wilson frowned. "She wasn't just now."

"Huh. Maybe she found out about your dastardly plan and is hiding from your insane ideas." House mused. "Where would she go?"

A beat, then the pair said in unison. "Lunch."

"I think that it's time for a break." House said with a finger in the air. "I am going to lunch."

"What about us?" Kate made the unfortunate mistake to question her boss and sighed when he tossed her his lab coat.

"You can be me in the clinic. Fredrick, you can frolic around the hospital and make yourself useful. I'm going to lunch to find my beautiful damsel. Let's hope she's not in distress. I'm really not into the whole rescue thing."

Wilson laughed and they disappeared down the hall.

Kate grumbled the entire way to the clinic.

Mark donned his own lab coat and headed towards the ER. He almost missed working there. Maybe they could use an extra hand.

xXx

Much to House's disappointment, Allison wasn't in the cafeteria. Though he did find Brenda sitting down at a table with an empty seat across from her. Leaving Wilson in line, he darted over to the empty seat and plopped himself down. "So, Brenda. How is your day going?"

"What do you need, House?" She asked tiredly. "I'm really not in a giving mood so it had better not be pointless."

"Why Brenda, I'm hurt." He said in a wounded tone. "I just wanted to know if you've seen Dr. Cameron."

"Clinic, last time I saw her. But that was about two hours ago. I'm unsure if she is still there."

"Thank-you." House got up as abruptly as he sat down, leaving Brenda stunned.

_Did he just thank me?_ Brenda was sure the world was coming to an end. With an amused smile, she started to eat. For the first time since she had known him, House had managed to make her day a bit more bearable.

"So, any luck, Sherlock?" Wilson had held House's spot and handed him his reuben. "No pickles, I checked."

"Thank god." House grumbled. "They'll do it right when _you_ order it. And no, Brenda had no idea where Allison was."

They reached the register and before Wilson could pull out his wallet, House threw down a 10 dollar bill and stalked off towards a table that was as far away from people as he could get. Wilson stared after him before picking up his food and darting off after his friend.

"What was that?"

"What was what?" House warbled over a bite of reuben, staring at Wilson over said sandwich.

"You…you _paid_ for your food. And mine!" Wilson was in shock.

House scrunched his face up. "And you're complaining…why?"

"You _never_ pay!"

"Fine, you can pay me back." House grumbled, taking another bite of food. He grinned at the look on Wilson's face. He loved it when he could render a normally blabby man speechless.

Wilson had just taken a bite of his salad when both men's pagers went off.

House was the first one to take a look at his. "_Emergency…my office. Cuddy._ The evil one needs to see me."

"You too?" Wilson wasn't surprised. "Guess we should head over there."

"Well, _I _guess we should ignore her until we finish eating." House took another bite and settled back into his chair.

Wilson froze halfway to a standing position. "Why aren't you getting up?"

House shrugged. "What's the point? It's more than likely someone trying to sue me, and they somehow want you too."

"Right. You getting sued is an emergency." Wilson wasn't convinced. He sat back down and took another bite of his salad. "I'm using a hostage situation as my excuse."

"Good idea." House agreed, his tone becoming mocking. "Lisa, darling. The big mean House forced me to stay seated to eat my horridly girly salad. He just wouldn't stand up and I can't be the only one to listen to you, oh master of the bedroom."

Wilson opened his mouth to retort but another voice interrupted him.

"What part of emergency didn't make sense to either of you?"

House glanced up to see Cameron standing at the table in her classic clench pose. "Hmm, that solves the mystery of the disappearing girlfriend." He muttered with a slight glare at Allison which soon was replaced with a mock frantic look. "Allie, darling. Meany-head Wilson just wouldn't let me leave. He kept me mesmerized with each bite of his girly salad. It was like he planned on eating it today just to put me into a trance that I couldn't break out of so I'd miss work!"

"Right." Allison said with an amused look on her face. "Cuddy needs both of you right now. She has a case that will interest both of you."

"If that's all it is, then why…"

"Because she figured that if she put it into the form of an emergency, you might actually go down there in a timely fashion." She interrupted him, a smile gracing her features. "I tried to tell her that it wouldn't work."

Wilson shoved the last part of his salad into his mouth and stood up with his tray, grinning when Cameron quickly sat down in his spot. "C'mon, House. Let's go."

"Okay, okay. Fine." He muttered, shoving the last part of his reuben into his mouth. He chucked the wrapping onto Wilson's tray and leaned back, smiling gently at Allison.

She returned the smile and started to stand.

"Hey, where are you going?" House asked in an almost pleading tone

She sat back down and sighed. "I have just a few more papers to fill out so I can start taking patients. I want to get those done. You just go and find out what Cuddy has for you."

"Okay." He looked downright miserable at the thought of going the rest of the day with the 10 minutes this morning and the five minutes now being his only time to spend with her.

She read his look for what it was. "It'll calm down in a couple of days. I promise well see more of each other in a couple of days."

He gave her a sad little smile at the look of regret in her eyes and followed Wilson out the door.

She sighed again and headed back to her office, her mind wrapped around how sad he seemed right before they parted ways.

xXx

"So Dr. Scratchandsniff, what _is_ this amazing case?" House wasted no time in asking as he and Wilson walked into Cuddy's office.

"You watch Animaniacs?" Cuddy asked, amazed.

"Of course I do. I'm just amused that _you_ do, too." House laughed evilly at the look of frustration on her face. "And my job here is complete. Now, Cuddles, what do you have for us?"

"15 year old girl comes into the clinic with an apparent head cold."

"Bully for her. Boring." House groused.

"It's not a cold." Cuddy handed out the folder. "A head cold doesn't present itself with a rash with purple mucus."

House stared at the Polaroid picture before fixing his stare on Cuddy, a half smile quirking up one corner of his mouth.

"You're making this up."

She grinned. "Actually I am. I used a sharpie to make the mucus purple. The real case is here." She handed him another folder and he made a face at her as he took the folder.

"She's still a 15 year old girl that comes into the clinic with an apparent head cold." He said accusingly with a pointed look at his boss.

"Well, that part was real. The purple mucus wasn't." She pointed to the list of symptoms. "Her mom said that she's been losing weight, rapidly losing it, as well as a report from her teachers that she is sleeping through her classes."

"She's a teenager." House scoffed. "Of course she's losing weight! She's probably anorexic or something. As for sleeping, what high school student _doesn't_ sleep through class?"

"I never did." Wilson piped up from his spot next to House.

"And that doesn't count if you're goody two shoes, which it just so happens that you _are_." House said impatiently before turning his attention back to Cuddy. "Where does this actually get interesting?"

"Her dad is a donor to the hospital. You're taking the case."

"Ah." House sighed resignedly. "Any chance of me not having to take it if I argue with you?"

"Not a spinsters chance in hell, House."

"Hmph." He grumbled, storming out of the office, leaving behind the oncologist who was slightly confused.

"Excuse me, Lisa, but why was I called here as well?" He asked.

She smiled at him, a light laugh escaping. "To insure that he would come. And it worked…to an extent."

"Ah." He smiled back at her. "Good enough reason for me."

He turned to leave but paused. Turning back, he hesitated before he spoke. "Are…you doing anything this weekend?"

She looked almost surprised at the question. "No, nothing. Why?"

He scratched his head. "Well, it's just that I read about a carnival in town on Sunday and I figured that you needed a break and do something completely random and I'll understand if you say no simply because it is a rather immature…" His words froze when she placed a finger on his lips.

"You're rambling. Of course I'll go with you. A break from the hospital would be lovely."

"Great!" His grin lit up the room and he turned to go again. "I'll pick you up at 8 on Sunday morning."

"Okay." She said with a smile as he left her office. She started to sort through the papers on her desk before she realized what she had just done.

_I'm going on a date with James Wilson this weekend. Is it a date? Or is it just as friends? Or does he just feel alone since House is now dating Allison and doesn't have as much time for him?_

She groaned and dropped her head onto her hands. She was liable to get a headache if she thought about this too much. Time would reveal if it were indeed a date and she was determined to let this take its course, no matter how hard it might be to do so.

xXx

"New case." House dumped the folder onto the table and picked up his pen. "Symptoms are as follows: 15 year old girl who comes into the clinic with a head cold that isn't a head cold. Mom claims that she's been rapidly losing weight and has a report from her teachers that she is sleeping through her classes."

"What teenager doesn't sleep through classes?" Foreman muttered as he grabbed the folder up to read it.

"That's what _I_ said!" House rolled his eyes skyward. "Maybe she'll listen to you if you say it."

"And what teenage girl isn't losing weight rapidly?" The neurologist added skeptically. "Aren't most of them anorexic or bulimic and obsessed with losing weight?"

"No." Kate said adamantly. "Not all girls are obsessed with that. Besides, she's a dancer. She doesn't need to lose weight."

"Hmm?" House questioned with a hum. "Gimme." He snatched the folder back and grunted. "Go get a patient history. More complete than this piece of crap." He threw the folder back at Kate and pointed towards the door. "Go forth, Johnstown. Just don't get comfy in there. This isn't the east coast."

She glared at him for the mockery of her name. "That's _James_town, Dr. House." She corrected before leaving the department.

"Tomae-to, tomah-to." He said flippantly. "Now, as for you two…" House rubbed his hands gleefully together. "Fuddruckers, you can look up any and all possibilities for these meager symptoms. And no making any up symptoms!"

Mark nodded and settled himself in front of the book case, his laptop sitting next to him on the floor. "This should only take…oh, three days?" He said sarcastically.

"Then you'd better get started, hadn't you?" He said more than asked before turning to the remaining original duckling. "Freemason, you can go be me in the clinic unless you want to do some lab work."

Foreman gave him an annoyed look. "I'll go do lab work."

House nodded. "Great. Nice to meet you, Dr. House." He pointed in the direction of the clinic.

The black man just shook his head, his eyes rolling skyward. "I can't win, can I?"

House gave a small smirk. "Nope. Now go forth and heal people. I'm going to inform the little cat that she's doing the lab work as well."

"I thought you didn't trust her."

"I don't. Therefore, be prepared to be relieved from clinic."

"I'll be waiting in eager anticipation." Foreman said dryly.

"Hey, only Allison is supposed to be waiting for me eagerly!" House protested. "Don't try to hone in on my action, homeboy!"

"You're paranoid, House." Foreman groaned as he left for the clinic.

"You're just saying that because I'm white!" House cried after him, his indignant tone echoing through the hall. "Racist!"

House refrained from smirking at the faces on the two nurses who just happened to be walking down the hall at the time. It was about time a new rumor circulated the mill.

xXx

House was whistling a nonsensical tune as he sauntered down towards the patient's room. He was very pleased with his choices of new fellows, despite Kate Johnston's audacity and blatant dislike of her new boss. Mark Fredrick was already proving to be a wise choice and would quickly develop into a fine doctor. Johnston would need to have her attitude vastly adjusted but she had the makings of a good doctor hiding just under the surface. House grinned inwardly at the thought of knocking her down a couple of notches.

He turned the corner and slid open the patient room door to see the girl frantically trying to get away from Kate. The young doctor was holding a needle, trying to draw blood. The patient was shrieking so loudly that House winced at the shrillness of it.

With a groan of annoyance, he grabbed a syringe of a sedative and limped over to the flailing girl. Popping off the cap with his teeth, he grabbed the IV line and watched as the girl slowly calmed down into a medicated sleep.

"What the hell are you trying to do?" House accused.

"She freaked out!" Kate tried to defend herself. "I told her that I was going to draw some blood and when she saw the needle, she freaked!"

"Blood can be drawn only by a doctor or by an authorized person who has been trained in the procedure." House snapped angrily, snatching the syringe out of Kate's hand. "Go do something safe, like my clinic hours. Tell Foreman to get his black ass up here."

Kate appeared properly chastised and left the room quickly, House's angry glare following her until she disappeared out of the room. No sooner had Kate left then the girls' parent's rushed in. "Rachel?" The mom looked at House in fear. "Is she dead?"

The husband rolled his eyes. "Laura, she's asleep."

House nodded in affirmation. "She freaked out when a doctor went to draw her blood so we had to sedate her."

"Oh my god." The mom, Laura, started to cry. "What's wrong with my baby?"

House barely refrained from screaming in frustration. This was precisely why he didn't deal with parents. Apparently, her husband had the same thought.

"Calm down and let the doctors do their job, Laura."

"Lance, don't tell me how to feel!" The woman yelled at her husband. "I'll feel horrible that my daughter is sick because I love her! Don't tell me to do otherwise."

The husband, Lance, threw House an apologetic look.

House ignored the look and rolled his eyes upward. "Someone will be in to draw her blood."

"Who are you, then?" Lance asked suspiciously.

House gave him a humorless grin and waved the cane in the air. "I'm the crippled doctor that is in charge of your daughter's life."

He loved causing that look of pure and utter shock on patent family's faces.

xXx

Foreman had just finished telling a mother that her baby was not dying when Kate found him.

"Dr. Foreman, Dr House wants you to take care of the patient." Kate sounded depressed at the thought and Foreman refrained from grinning.

"Thank you. You can take over here for me." He left Kate standing at the door with her gaze on the patient information for the mother and baby sitting in front of her.

Foreman knew that she would come to relieve him because he knew that House didn't particularly like the new female doctor.

His footsteps echoed through the strangely quiet halls as he walked to the patient's room. As he grew closer, he could hear the soft sobs of a woman and the low rumblings of a man comforting her. With a mental bracing for the emotions about to come, he plowed forward towards the room, one goal in mind: draw the blood and get out. However, he should have learned after all these years from working with House that life hardly ever goes the way you wish.

The moment he made his presence known, Foreman knew instinctively that he wouldn't be leaving without mass hysteria. The mother was instantly by his side with questions about her daughter and instructions on exactly how he should be doing a job that he had been doing for longer than she had been the mother of a teenaged dancer.

He forced himself to remain civil as he somehow managed to make it to the girl's (Rachel?) bedside to draw the much needed blood for the tests, though somehow, he automatically knew that he'd be making another visit to the room for a spinal tap, a biopsy, an MRI, or more blood. It's how they worked.

"What can you tell me about Rachel's condition?" At least the father sounded grounded in reality, while in stark contrast the mother seemed to focus only on making Foreman's job impossible.

"All that we know is that she's sick." Foreman said wearily, holding up the three vials of blood. "However, with this, we hope to either find out what she has or to eliminate possibilities until we can deduce what she does have."

The father looked confused at what Foreman said. "In other words, you don't know."

Foreman gave a wry grin. "Exactly."

The mother gave him an angry look. "We brought her here so you could fix her, not so you could 'deduce' what was wrong with her."

"Ma'am, that's what we do." Foreman said, his patience waning quickly. "No one here, not even Dr. House, can look at a case such as this and automatically know what is wrong."

Apparently, that was the wrong thing to say.

"You mean to say that it's something unknown?" The mother was sounding hysterical again.

Foreman groaned inwardly. "What I mean to say is that we are unsure what is wrong with her. We got her case 20 minutes ago. We aren't God. We're doctors. If you wanted an immediate diagnosis, you should have brought her directly to the throne of God."

The looks on the parent's told Foreman that they weren't amused with his snide remarks but Foreman could really care less. He needed to get to the lab with these samples before they were worthless. "We'll talk later, sir, ma'am." He nodded cordially to the pair and strode quickly to the lab, leaving behind the parent's who were unsure how to react to the black doctor.

Somehow, Foreman knew that the blood tests would tell them nothing.

xXx

"You can stop looking." House announced to Mark Fredrick as he and Foreman strode into the diagnostics department. "I need you to do something more…productive."

Mark glanced up from the book with relief. "Thank god. What is it?"

House gave an evil grin. "Breaking and entering."

"What?" He sounded flabbergasted.

House rolled his eyes and held out a key. "Go check out for anything environmental or anything interesting at their house. Foreman has the directions."

While the pair left the room, House hollered after them. "Don't come back unless you have something that'll interest me and pick up Johnston as you leave!"

The moment the pair disappeared, he pulled up his email, re-reading a strange email from Allison's mother.

_Don't be afraid of change._

He was confused by the one line she had sent. It was probably both the simplest and the most complicated email he had ever received.

_Don't be afraid of change_.

He frowned deeply as he thought about the cryptic line.

_Don't be afraid of change. Why would she send that to me? How would she know about my inward struggle?_

He sighed at the ding of his watch signaling 6:00.

_Allison will be leaving soon._

House watched through his window as, true to form, Allison left the hospital at precisely 6. She hadn't even stopped to say good bye, though he could reluctantly understand why. While she hadn't received any patients today, he and his team were busy working on their patient who was ill with what both he and Foreman suspected to be amyloidosis, though it was probable that he could be wrong. Probable, but not possible. Greg House was never wrong.

Except for recently.

More specifically, about one recently thought through idea.

For all his thoughts about never needing anything or anyone, he was on his way to being unable to function without seeing her constantly.

Yes, he realized that he was involved in a case.

Yes, he was deeply aware of the fact that he was cranky when he was disturbed in the middle of a differential, something in which he knew she was fully attentive to.

But that didn't mean he didn't want _her_ to interrupt his differentials to kiss him and say good bye.

He would let her interrupt.

He _wanted_ her to interrupt.

He would let her present her ideas about the case because he wanted to hear her thoughts.

He wouldn't shoot down her ideas about the case with the harsh sarcasm he usually used because her input was important to him.

He needed her opinion about the case.

He missed hearing her voice during the differentials.

He ached to hear her ideas and call his new fellows idiots along side with him and Foreman. Though Foreman had yet to call his new co-workers idiots, House could read it in his eyes.

He longed to see her smile when she finally figured out the puzzle.

He thought about when he was sick earlier in the week. He was loath to admit it, and he'd shoot himself before he said it out loud to anyone aside her, but he had enjoyed her attention. It was the first time since he was a small child that he had felt that someone truly cared about how _he_ felt.

He wanted that feeling again.

He wanted to reciprocate that feeling in her. He wanted to make _her_ feel cared about, loved, desired.

He wanted…no.

He _desired_ her and her alone.

He needed her to know that.

He needed her to understand how much he desired her.

He longed for her to know how much he was beginning to depend on her strength and love.

It wasn't like she would be waiting at home for him where he could kiss her and love her and cook dinner for her or with her and just _be_ with her.

His heart felt heavy at that last thought and he realized that regardless of how she might answer the question, he needed to ask it. Screw the possibility of rejection. It was time to act on what he wanted for once without thinking about all that could go wrong.

He frowned and looked at his watch. It would take her 15 minutes to get home. He could be patient until then. No use in causing his girlfriend to have a car accident simply because he wanted to talk to her about something that would only change their lives forever.

xXx

Cameron had only been home for 30 seconds before the phone rang. She groaned and picked up the receiver. "Hello?" She said tiredly, not bothering to look at the caller ID.

"Move in with me."

"Hello Greg. Thank you for asking how my day went. It went just splendidly." She said sarcastically before what he said sunk in. "Wait, what?"

"I miss you. Move in with me."

"Are you serious?"

"As death."

"That's more than a little morbid."

"It _is_ my middle name."

"I thought your middle name was Daniel, or more specifically, Daniel-the-Bastard?"

"It is Daniel-the-MORBID-Bastard."

"Ahh, it all makes perfect sense now."

There was a lengthy pause before House broke the silence. "So…whaddya say?"

She smiled even though he couldn't see her. "We need to talk about this first, Greg. I'll come over in a bit."

"Goodie!" He mock squealed.

"No sex, Greg. We need to actually talk about this." She admonished firmly.

"Did I say anything about sex? I was excited about painting toenails and doing each other's hair." He said sarcastically. "Besides, what's there to talk about?" He demanded, his mood somewhat deflated. "I ask you to move in, and you answer with a 'Yes, Greg.' It's that simple."

She laughed. "It's _not_ that simple. I just don't want you to regret asking me come tomorrow morning."

"When is the weekend?"

She frowned at his change of topic. "Tomorrow's Friday, so…."

"Good." He interrupted. "There'll be a moving truck there Sunday. You have all day Saturday to pack, and tomorrow too, if I can get Cuddy to let you off."

"What?"

"I can help if you want me to. I'm not sure how much help I can actually be, but…I can try." He sounded sincere.

_He really does want me to move in._ She grinned at the thought.

"Yes, Greg."

"Huh?"

"You said all I have to answer with is a 'yes, Greg' so there it is. Yes, Greg."

"Really?" He sounded stunned.

"Really. I'll see you tomorrow unless you call me before 8 to tell me that Cuddy's giving me the day off. I love you."

"I'll call." He promised. "Love you, too." They both hung up the phone and House slumped against the counter, a certain glad light in his eyes.

He wished that she could see the huge grin that beamed from his face. It was a good thing that there was no reason for Wilson to drop by tonight because it was going to be awhile for the glow to fade.

She hadn't said no.

She hadn't demanded that they get married.

She hadn't gotten all girly and screamed in his ear in a high-pitch giggle that most teenaged, high-school girls possess.

She was moving in. On Sunday.

They wouldn't be parted.

He'd be able to see her everyday.

He wouldn't have to long for her when she was away from his side.

He could desire her and she'd be right there for him to feast upon whenever he needed her.

_Oh, happy day!_

It never dawned on him that the feeling he was currently emitting usually accompanied engagement or marriage.

It never even entered his mind that their relationship would be cemented if he would only look past his previous experiences to realize that marriage to her would bring him the greatest happiness that he had only dreamed of, had never touched, had never fully imagined possible.

xXx

AN: Do you want to read about Wilson and Cuddy's outing to the carnival? I wasn't planning on writing it, but if you want it, I will.

I have about six pages of the next chapter written. Not as many as I had hoped…but I wanted this out sooner than later.


	22. The Fast Pace of Life

Story Title: Touch of Destiny

Chapter 22: The Fast Pace of Life

Chapter summery: Cameron moves in, the case is closed, and

xXx

Disclaimer: Not mine, unless you don't recognize a character. Then it is mine, and you shouldn't take it. Such as….Dotty Myers, Kate Johnston, and Mark Fredrick are all mine.

AN: Okay, so the date was supposed to be in this chapter…but it isn't. Reason being…the chapter would have been over 30 pages long! So, I broke it up. Now this chapter is about 20, and the next one is about 15 or so.

This is really important to me and it's about LJ. How the heck to you make those nifty cool links? I figured out how to make the links for if you want to hide really long text, but grrr. I want to have links to individual chapters!!!

Okay, I'm done ranting. If any one understood what I said, MESSAGE ME PLEASE!!!

And is it just me, or are the reviews dwindling? Or am I just not getting some of them in my inbox? Dumb technology… I love all my regular reviewers!

xXx

kdip4014: I'm glad you like the new doctors, and I'm glad Fredrick is a hit. I think I'm going to like him. And yes, the tape will be used…eventually….hehe.

obsessedwithstabler: lol. Yes, m'dear, she's moving in. I love writing this story. Hehe! As for marriage and baby House….you'll just have to wait and see.

sabu53: I love writing inner dialogue, so House is no different. And I'm glad you liked the chapter!

Bellydancerakn: I'm glad you love my writing! And please don't die from mustard greens and tangerine popsicles. I may not greatly love mustard greens, but I do love popsicles, and if you die, I'm afraid I won't be able to eat them any longer!

AllisonCammie: The date will be funny. Anything with Wilson is going to be funny. But I'm afraid that it won't be until next chapter…

whoKMH: You have great ideas! I might use it, too. Thanks for reviewing and I'm glad you liked the chapter!

Rawden: I'm glad you liked it! And I'm glad you reviewed!

Sweetgreuy: I ended up writing the date, in the next chapter that is, but the focus of the story isn't and won't be Wilson/Cuddy. You'll like how I wrote in the date, I'm sure.

KyGirl03: I'm glad the chapter met your approval! I'm sure you'll enjoy this chapter. :D

SilvaK: I'm glad you liked the House Rules. And I'm glad you liked the chapter!

NM 42: lol. I'm glad you liked it. I love kudos. Mmmmm, chocolate. And I'm not a writer on the show because they won't answer my pleas to let me join. cries Let me write! Oh well, I'll just keep picketing the studio in my daydreams since I live too far away from Universal to do it in person.

xXx

Cuddy stopped House as he walked into the hospital the next morning. "I had a strange message on the answering machine when I came in early this morning."

"What, no 'hello House, how are you this morning?'" He asked, feigning his insulted tone with an equally fake pout. "How on earth did you ever made Dean of Medicine without learning good manners?!"

Giving him a look that said 'hypocrite' she said with an eye roll. "Hello House, how are you this morning and why did you call the _hospital_ to tell me that Allison won't be in today?"

House tilted his head slightly and narrowed one eye in a sort of squint. "Because…she isn't?"

"And why not my house?"

"I didn't want to wake you up?" Again, House's voice was more of an innocent question.

Cuddy's tone was one that was usually directed at a 4 year old who didn't understand a basic statement or question. "Why isn't she going to be in?"

"She's packing." House stated in a matter-of-fact tone.

"Packing?!" Cuddy was flabbergasted to say the least. "Why? So help me, House, if you scared her off…"

House gave her his classic 'you're an idiot' look. "She's moving." He said before pushing the button for the elevator

"I gathered that when you said she was packing!" She was back to being annoyed. "Why and where? Again, if you did something…"

"She's moving because one, it's high time for her to do so and two, because she wants to. As for where…she's moving in with her incredibly sexy and good looking boyfriend because _he_ wants her to." He gave her a strange look. "Do you really think that I'd even _be_ here if she was leaving me?"

"You asked her to move in?" The incredulous tone she usually used when he presented a highly unusual or unethical request was present.

"Is that really so shocking?" He turned away from her and pushed the button again.

"For you, yes." Cuddy said with a laugh that wasn't amused. "When Stacy moved in, it was an 'I'm moving in so get over it' move on her part. This time, you actually _asked_ Allison to move in. Why?"

"Do I have to share my motives with you?" House asked as he walked into the elevator. "I don't have to answer to you about my private life. Oh, and your weekend with Wilson? It's a date, you lucky dog you."

The doors closed off her reply as he punched the button to head up to second floor, leaving himself alone in the elevator.

He was almost expecting to see who he saw when the doors opened and he started out of the metal box.

"Cameron's moving in with you?" Wilson wasted no time in asking in that whiny voice of his that just shouted his annoyance at being the last to find something out. He walked with House down the hall towards the Diagnostics Department.

"Why is everyone so shocked about this?" House said with a sort of annoyed yet amused quirk of his lips before his eyes narrowed in suspicion. "And how the hell did you find out about this so quickly?"

Wilson held up his cell phone. "Text messaging is an amazing invention." He quipped before growing serious again. "Are you sure about this?"

"About you following me? No, I don't take strays in. Go home, little doggie." He pointed down the hall, his tone one of slight annoyance.

The oncologist rolled his eyes. "No, you doofus. About Cameron moving in with you. Last I remember, you don't take to well to roommates."

"No, I don't take well to roommates who clip their toenails at 6:30 in the morning." House got an annoyed-sarcastic expression on his face. "And yes, I'm very unsure about it. It's why I called her as soon as I knew that she was home and told her to move in with me."

Wilson held up his hands in surrender. "Fine, dumb question."

"Damn straight." House muttered as his office came in sight.

"You're supposed to tell me that there aren't any dumb questions." Wilson groused good-naturedly.

"All questions are dumb…" House countered. "…until I deem otherwise."

"Right. Because you are the all-knowing Dr. House."

"Damn straight!"

This time the phrase was said with such loud pride that it caused Wilson to grin, though he quickly hid it before his friend could see it. "Right." Was all the oncologist would say, his voice brimming with amusement as the pair entered the diagnostics room.

"How's the patient?" House bellowed, startling the occupants of the room, though Kate and Mark tried to hide it by acting as if they had been already up out of their seats.

"Dying." Foreman said without preamble, a glum expression on his face. "And nothing is conclusive. The blood work, MRI, CT scan, nothing."

"Hmm." House took the file and scanned it quickly before looking at Kate and Mark. "Have you done a spinal tap?"

"No." Kate was the one who brave enough, or stupid enough, to answer.

"Have you done a biopsy?"

"Of what?"

"Anything! Her brain, her lungs, her pinkie toe, I don't care!"

"No." This time it was said slower as realization dawned on her.

He frowned at her. "Then not everything is inconclusive, is it?" He shoved the file at her. "Foreman, go instruct Johnstown here how to properly perform a spinal tap. Fredrick, I'm going to make an assumption that you know how to do one, so you'll assist Foreman. When you have the spinal tap, do another MRI, use a different contrast."

"Which contrast?" Fredrick asked calmly.

"The one that lights up her organs instead of her brain." House quipped, pointing at the door with his cane. "Go forth and fix this poor girl!"

"What are you going to be doing?" Kate innocently asked.

His glare that was directed at Kate made her shrink back, making her wish that she had never opened her mouth. "None of your damn business."

Foreman stifled a laugh and headed towards the door. "I'll page you before we do the MRI."

"Why would you do that?" House inquired. "I don't really care about an MRI. They're boring."

Foreman shrugged. "I figured you'd want to make comments at Johnston if she bungles it up again."

House tapped his chin with a long digit and grinned almost evilly. "Page me before you take the girl to the MRI."

Foreman nodded, a grin gracing his features. He knew House would respond to that.

"Oh, and Foreman?" He waited until he had the black man's attention before smirking. "She has amylodosis, by the way."

"We'll soon see, House." Foreman muttered as he turned away to continue down the hall. "We'll soon see."

xXx

_Beep! Beep! Beep!_

With an agonized groan, Allison slammed her hand down on her alarm clock to shut it up and cracked one eye open to look at the clock. 9:30.

"Shit!" She freaked out and shot up out of bed, frantically looking around for her phone. "I'm late, and Cuddy is going to kill me."

She rushed out into her kitchen and there sitting next to her phone was a note with huge writing on it.

_Nice to see you slept in for once. Yes, I changed your alarm clock. I was going to just turn it off, but I figured that you actually enjoy having some buzzy-beepy annoying thing waking you up every morning since you had it set in the first place. I came to tell you that Cuddy isn't expecting you today, but I didn't want to wake you up. Pack. I'll be over after work. With luck, you'll be done and I won't have to do anything. Moving truck will be here at 4 pm tomorrow._

_Filled with lots of fluffy love for my queen of niceness,_

_(Ick! That was really lame! You'd better be glad that I didn't erase it, because I almost did. I am never writing something like that again. Blech. Now I'm going to have to shower to rid myself of the sappiness.)_

_GH_

_PS. All joking aside, I really do love you, you know._

She started to laugh as the terror she felt when she first saw the clock faded into amusement.

_I am going to _kill_ you, Greg!_

With a sigh of relief, she padded back to her bedroom to change into some workout clothes.

_Might as well run a bit before I start to pack._

xXx

_Of course the spinal tap is clear._

House was grumbling to himself as his uneven gait carried him down the hallways and corridors to the MRI machine. The only positive side he could see of today was the fact that in two days he wasn't going home to a lonely and depressing house. He brightened up slightly at the thought of Allison moving in. A sort of liveliness brightened up his step and he strode confidently into the observing room of the MRI.

Foreman barely acknowledged his presence with a nod as he fiddled with the computer while Fredrick gave him a broad smile as he leaned back in his chair. "Just waiting for Johnston to finish prepping girl." He said to House's unasked inquiry.

House nodded and turned his attention to Kate who was fumbling with the straps that held the patient onto the sliding board of the machine. House nearly threw his cane through the window when she dropped one of the straps and had to pick it back up again three times before she finally got it in place. The teenager on the board smiled gently at the nerve-wracked woman and Kate smiled briefly back. She glanced at the room and House ducked down to avoid being seen.

Foreman shook his head at House's juvenile behavior and whispered to him after covering the mike. "She saw you, you can get up." Then, into the microphone, he said to Kate. "All set?" At the thumbs up, he nodded. "Alright, start the machine."

With a whir and a half-dozen mechanical groans, the MRI started, the girl slowly disappearing into the small opening of the machine.

Kate refrained from groaning when she realized that she hadn't hallucinated her boss inside the observing room when she opened the door and joined her co-workers in watching the screens.

"Hey, what's that?" House pointed to the screen.

"What's what?" Kate gullibly leaned closer.

"That!" House pointed again.

Kate frowned. "I don't know."

"It's a chest cavity." House said as if she should have known that. "Duh."

Kate rolled her eyes. "Normally, when someone points to an image being created by an MRI and ask 'what's that', they actually mean something that is _wrong_ with the person being scanned."

"I'm not _normal_." House emphatically insisted, an insulted look twisting his features.

"That's for sure." Foreman muttered under his breath, though he shot his boss a quick grin to show he was joking.

House gave an approving nod back before focusing once more on the screen. "Take a look at that." He said pointing again, his tone more serious this time. "She's lighting up like a Christmas tree!"

Kate frowned and leaned forward, looking at the picture. "It's the contrast."

All three other doctors groaned and House smacked a hand to his forehead. But before he could make some scathingly sarcastic remark, Mark beat him to the punch.

"Johnston, there is a reason we put contrast in a contrast MRI."

She gave him a look. "I know. It makes the scan light up."

"It makes what's _wrong_ light up _on_ the scan."

She frowned for a moment before the light dawned on her. "Oh. Oh!" She turned back to the screen. "Does that mean…?"

"Yes." Foreman interrupted. "We biopsy all of it."

A silence fell over the group with the only sounds present were the sounds of breathing and the machine clicking.

Kate looked stunned.

Foreman looked smug.

Mark looked as if he had expected Foreman's comment.

House disappeared when no one was looking.

xXx

Flipping through her iPod, Allison chose a band that wouldn't generally be used for workout music. With a grin, she plugged her ears with the earphones and let the music of Lifehouse flood her senses as she set her treadmill for the settings she wanted to use this morning.

_Find me here, speak to me_

_I want to feel you, I need to hear you_

_You are the light that's leading me_

_To the place where I find peace again._

_Because _that_ describes Greg. Peace indeed. Almost nothing about that man is peaceful. _She nearly laughed and was about to skip the song when the lines hit her.

_You are the strength that keeps me walking._

_You are the hope that keeps me trusting._

_You are the light to my soul._

_You are my purpose...you're everything._

Her step faltered and she very nearly fell. The words hit home to her and she wished House could be hearing this along with her so he'd understand exactly what it was that made her love him.

_How can I stand here with you and not be moved by you?_

_Would you tell me how could it be any better than this?_

She straddled the treadmill and left the machine running as she absorbed the song, her eyes focused on an invisible spot on the wall.

_You calm the storms, and you give me rest._

_You hold me in your hands, you won't let me fall._

_You steal my heart, and you take my breath away._

_Would you take me in? Take me deeper now?_

He'd probably never know it, and if he did he'd probably scoff at her, but he held in his hands her heart and her soul. He alone had the capability to either crush or nurture her fragile heart. He alone had the capability to chase away the storms that surrounded her. He had stolen her heart and he alone would take the very breath she breathed away. His heart was the only one she wanted to be taken deeper into. His alone.

_How can I stand here with you and not be moved by you?_

_Would you tell me how could it be any better than this?_

_And how can I stand here with you and not be moved by you?_

_Would you tell me how could it be any better than this?_

She found herself nodding to the song. This was exactly what she wanted to tell Greg but never knew exactly how. Trust her to forget about this song that she'd loved ever since it came out.

'_Cause you're all I want, you're all I need_

_You're everything, everything_

_You're all I want your all I need_

_You're everything, everything._

_You're all I want you're all I need._

_You're everything, everything_

_You're all I want you're all I need, you're everything, everything._

A soft smile crossed her face as her mind drifted to his personality. He really was everything that she wanted. His abrasive nature, his sarcasm, his childishness, everything was endearing to her. His scruffy exterior that he spent so much time to keep up and his obnoxious jokes were a part of him that she would never ask him to rid himself of. They made up who _he_ was. They made up the Greg House she fell in love with. She'd never want him any other way and she wanted him to know that.

Switching to a group that would surprise anyone who knew her, she fell back instep to the rowdy music of Flogging Molly. The familiar pounding of her feet settled her emotions once more and ran for about a half an hour longer, feeling better than she had in weeks. A break from work was just what she needed, despite the fact that she was using the day off to pack up her belongings to move in with her boyfriend who just happened to be a former boss.

_My father would have a heart attack if he knew._

She laughed slightly at the thought before she eyed the phone with a critical eye.

_And my mother would kill me if she _didn't_ know._

With an agonized groan, she halted her run, paused her music, picked up the phone and slowly dialed the very familiar number.

_Maybe luck will be with me and…_

"Hello?"

_No such luck._

She sighed softly and forced a smile on her face.

"Hi, Dad. Is Mom around?"

_Just one second, Allie. She's buzzin' around like she owns the place._

"Dad…"

_Yeah, I know. She does._

Allison laughed and her dad joined her.

_It's good to hear your voice, Bear. _

"Dad, Allyn is the only one you can call me that."

_Now why is that? Who gave you that nickname?_

"I essentially did."

_I did, in case you don't remember. I was there during you're toddler years, remember?_

"Yeah, but I was the one _acting _like a bear."

_I still gave it to you._

Her dad's insulted tone just made her laugh. "I miss you, Dad."

_I miss you too, Bear._

Her groan made him laugh.

_Here's your mother. Don't do anything stupid, okay? And don't let that boss of your harass you any more. Give him what he deserves. I taught you how._

"Thanks, Dad. That's just what I need." She rolled her eyes. "Assault charges on me towards my boss."

_Alright, it's my turn! I want the phone!_

Cameron could hear her mother in the background and grinned again. "I love you, Dad."

_Love you, too. Here's Mom._

Allison winced at the loud shriek that came through the phone.

_Allie, dear, why on _earth_ have you waited so long to phone!_

"Sorry, Mom." She said meekly. "I've just been busy."

_I'll say. You're so busy with that new…_

"Mom, Dad doesn't know yet." Cameron hurried to interrupt before her mom could say too much.

…_job that you haven't called us? Oh, don't worry. He left the room to avoid 'female talk' as he put it. Your Greg is the same way, isn't he?_

She couldn't help but laugh. "Yeah, I suppose he is. How _is_ Dad doing, by the way?"

_He's fine. I'm sure he told you that. Now dear, I know you wanted to tell me something._

"Mom, I have no idea what on earth you are talking about."

_Quit stalling. Did he ask you to marry him yet?_

"Mom!"

_Well, I can't help it if I want to see you happy._

"No, he didn't ask me to marry him."

_Yet._

"Mom…."

_Alright, I get the picture. Drop it. So what _did_ you call about?_

She let out a sigh that she knew her mother would be able to hear and blurted out. "We're moving in together."

_Really! When?_

Her mom sounded way too interested to be natural. "This weekend, actually. Sunday."

_Hun, that only leaves you…_

"Two days to pack, I know." _Believe me, I know. _She added silently.

_Tell me all about what's been happening. He told me about Dr. Chase. What has he left out?_

She let out a small laugh. "How much time do you have, Mom?"

_I have all the time in the world, dear. So spill._

xXx

A book was slammed violently onto the desk, harshly bringing House out of his tenuous slumber.

"Wake up, House."

"Go away, Foreman." House grumbled, closing his eyes once more in hopes that the trio standing before him would magically disappear.

"Sorry, we won't just vanish because you can't see us." Mark grinned.

"And you're supposed to be working anyway." Kate muttered. "It isn't fair that we do all the work and you do nothing."

"I am surrounded by idiots." House groused in his best 'Scar' voice as he stared at his fellows with an incredulous stare.

"Huh?" All three looked confused, though all for different reasons.

"Exactly." House muttered before scoffing. "You've never seen Lion King? Geez, and they say _I'm_ old."

"_I_ was saying 'huh' to why we're all idiots." Foreman explained with an eye roll. "Of course I've seen Lion King." He added with a mutter. "Sadly enough…"

"Why am I an idiot?" Kate once again opened her mouth and said the first thing that came to mind.

"You just answered your own question." Mark winced as he waited to hear House's response.

"Good job, Fredrick. Johnston, you're an idiot because you can't keep your mouth shut. Also, because you can't perform a biopsy worth shit. Re-do it."

Her mouth gaped open. "I did it according to how Foreman told me to do it."

Foreman couldn't help the scoffing laugh that escaped and quickly school his expression when she whirled around to glare at him.

"Correct me if I'm wrong, and I'm never wrong, but I'm going to assume that Foreman wasn't even in the room when you did your part of the biopsies."

She gave a meek nod and House pursed his lips in annoyance. "Foreman, I told you to make sure she did the procedures right!"

"And I'm not her damn baby-sitter." Foreman shot back. "I'm a doctor, not a teacher. She's your fellow, _you_ teach her."

"God, I wish Cameron were here." House muttered. "At least _she_ knew what she was doing."

"I know what I'm doing." Kate said angrily. "Just because I'm a new doctor that has never done this in an actual professional setting doesn't mean that I'm an idiot. The only idiot that I see is…"

"People, please. Is this really worth arguing about now?" Mark interrupted the yelling with his soft tones and surprisingly enough got everyone's attention. "Thank you. Can we get back to the patient?"

House shot a glare at everyone in the group and tossed the file at Foreman. "Read it."

"I don't have to." Foreman said as patiently as he could. "I know what it says."

"So…what does it say?"

Mark interrupted again. "Dr. House, it doesn't matter what Johnston's results say. Both mine and Foreman's tell us that she has amylodosis."

"Thank-you." Foreman muttered. "I was just about to say that."

"Told you so." House taunted with a childish smirk. "I'm _never_ wrong."

There was a pregnant pause before Kate asked quietly. "So, what do we do now?"

"Tell her parents that she's dying and put her on some chemotherapy to see if it works. From the looks of her scans, we caught it too late and there's nothing we can do for her." House said seriously, all joking aside.

"Who's telling the parents?"

He gave a nod towards Kate. "Johnston, I want you to tell them that their daughter is having massive organ failure and with the extent of the problems she is having that there is no hope to have the donor board even consider putting her on the list."

Kate's eyes widened. "Why am I the one being forced to tell them?"

"Don't question me. Just do it." He nodded towards the others. "Start her on chemo. I'm leaving. I suggest you do the same once you're done." Gathering his belongings, he sighed and muttered sullenly as he walked out towards the hospital entrance. "I hate it when the diagnosis ends like this."

xXx

"Yes, Mom. I'm sure neither Joe nor Chase will come after me again. Besides, if they do, Dad taught me enough to take care of myself."

_I just worry about you, that's all_.

"Mom, I'm fine."

_If you say so, dear. Now, is Greg around so I can talk his ear off?_

"Sorry, Mom. He's at work. He said that he'd be over later to help, though I'm afraid that there won't be much helping involved…"

_Sounds just like your father._

"Yeah, it does, doesn't it?" She said with a grin. "Mom, I need to run. I have to start packing."

_Go, Allie. Pack. I'll talk to you later. I love you._

"Love you too, Mom."

As she finally hung up the phone with her mother, she realized that she didn't have the time to finish her run.

_Thank you mother._

With a wry smile, she pulled off her clothes and turned on the water for the shower. She needed to hurry so she could run to the store to pick up some boxes and packing tape.

xXx

"Honey, I'm home!" House bellowed as he walked into her apartment unannounced.

"Hey, how was your day?"

He could hear her voice filtering through the rooms and deduced that she was in her bedroom. "Oh, just peachy."

"That's good."

He could hear her voice clearer as he made his slow way to her bedroom, dodging empty boxes and piles of books, CDs, and other random items. "Missed you today." He smiled at her flushed appearance as she struggled to close a box full of clothes from the closet.

"Oh, really?" She gave up on the box and smiled back at him. Brushing a lock of hair out of her eyes, she stood up and brushed his cheek with her lips. "I missed you, too."

"Couldn't tell." He quipped before he captured her lips with his. "_Now_ I can tell you missed me."

She giggled and moved away from him again. "Give me a hand, will you?"

"I think I can manage that." He smirked and made his way to the box. "What are you doing, stuffing your closet in that box?"

"Yeah." She grunted as she tried once again to pull the flaps of the box enough over the clothes so she could tape it.

"You didn't even pull the clothes off the hangers?" He rolled his eyes and reached down to grasp the box. "There, tape it now before I let go."

"Thanks." She quickly taped the box shut and heaved a sigh of relief. "That dumb box has been annoying me for 15 minutes now."

"Glad I could be the knight in shining armor." He joked with a grin. "Though, I suppose I'm not that."

"I thought we already had this discussion."

"Oh yeah." He shrugged and glanced around. "So what's going in the truck as is?"

"Everything else in here. I'll take the drawers out of my dresser and put them in my car, put my plants in my car, and my bedding."

"Great. Where to next?"

She gave him a wry smile. "The kitchen."

He groaned. "Oh, god. This is going to take years."

She laughed. "That's what you get for demanding that I move in _now_."

"Yeah, well…" He frowned before moaning pitifully. "There, see! Now I can't even think of a retort!"

"Sometimes that happens when you get old."

"Hey!"

"Just telling it like it is."

"Now that's just mean."

"You know you love me."

"Not any more. Not with the old man comment."

"Did I say you're an old man?"

"You said I was getting old!"

"My mom's been saying comments like that to me since I was 16, Greg."

"Oh."

"Yeah…oh."

"For that, you get to pack on your own."

"Fine, and you get to experience no sex for a month."

"What!"

"You heard me."

Loud muttering followed the pair to the kitchen. "Fine." He said grudgingly. "What gets packed first?" Then much quieter. "Attila the Hun."

"I heard that, Mr. Grumpy Pants!"

He smirked as he walked into the kitchen. "Oops."

xXx

"How long have we been dating?"

Allison looked up in surprise at the question and frowned slightly as she thought. "Umm…let me think. Two…no three months, if my memory serves me right."

"So we started dating in July?"

"June I think, actually. Why?"

He shrugged. "Just curious."

There was a lengthy pause before she asked lightly. "Think we're moving too fast?"

"No, moving too fast would be getting married this week." House said sarcastically. "You're just moving in."

She laughed and turned back to trying to shove another book in the box that was already too full. "My mom thinks that it's about time."

"You told your _mom_?" His eyes nearly bulged out of his head.

"Of course I told my mom! Didn't tell my dad, but I told my mom. I tell her practically everything."

"At least your dad doesn't know." He muttered. "I don't really desire to be murdered in my sleep by a guy who was in the army during Viet Nam."

"Aw, my dad wouldn't do that." Allison insisted. "Besides, he taught me enough about hand-to hand that I can handle myself quite well."

_What about that thing with Joe?_ Greg almost asked, choosing instead to zip his lip. He didn't really want to get in trouble already.

But she seemed to read his mind. "I wasn't expecting Joe to try and rape me in the hospital so my guard was down. By the time I realized what he was doing, I couldn't do anything about it." She shrugged without looking up as she struggled with taping the box. "I won't make that mistake again."

House nodded and moved to help her. "It's a good thing that I won't have to worry about you alone then. I still have that vision of you punching that guy out at that bar." He held the box flaps down while she taped it up.

"Thanks." She looked up from the box with a confused expression. "What bar?"

"The one we went to and that drunken guy was hitting on you…"

"Oh." The light of understanding flashed in her eyes. "That was the same day that Cuddy accused Wilson of shooting me."

"That's the day."

"Oh what good times." She said slightly sarcastically.

"Yup. Cuddy screeching, Wilson hovering, you caring, me not caring. I think I prefer now rather than then."

"Me too." She said softly, though he could still hear her. "Me too."

xXx

"Okay, that's all I'm doing tonight." Allison finally announced, throwing the tape and the scissors on the floor and flopped down next to it. "I'm beat."

"Me too."

"You lazy bum, you've been sitting for the past two hours!"

"My leg hurts!" He whined.

"My everything hurts!" She threw back with a slight grin.

"Aww." He whined. "I wanted to have sex."

"No."

"Damn. Guess I'll just go home then."

"Your loss, lover boy."

At the blank look he shot her, she grinned. "I said no sex I didn't say no to the getting 'down and dirty'."

"Same thing."

"No it isn't."

He pouted. "Down and dirty?" He asked finally.

"Fine by me."

The look he shot her was pure sex. "Really?"

She practically purred when he nuzzled her neck. "The sex thing sounds good to me. Especially if it's you involved."

"Well, I'm involved. The question is, are you involved?"

She shot him a look that said 'duh'.

"Hey, now don't go giving me that look!" He protested before she clapped a hand over his mouth.

"Thank you. Now shut up and kiss me." She demanded with a gleam in her eye. "I want to get to the making of the love sooner than later."

"Mmmm, now that I can handle. Let's get down and dirty."


	23. Date Night and Beyond

Story Title: Touch of Destiny

Chapter 23: Date Night and Beyond

Chapter summery: Unusual dates aren't really all that unusual, and House convinces Cameron to do something unusual for her.

xXx

Disclaimer: Not mine, unless you don't recognize a character. Then it is mine, and you shouldn't take it. Such as….Dotty Myers, Kate Johnston, and Mark Fredrick are all mine.

AN: So I was going to include this in the previous chapter, but it proved to be an information overload. Think of River from Firefly/Serenity. Yes. Reading the chapter was damaging my _own_ calm so I can't imagine how it would have affected my beloved readers. I aim to keep my readers from going all _feng le_ and the like.

And I lied. It's not 16 pages. It's more. Lol. There's my crazy mind for you.

And for any of you who don't watch Firefly…_feng le_ is crazy, at least I'm almost sure that that's what it means…hmmm. Maybe I should check on that…wouldn't want it to actually mean "pickle juice" or "cactus butt" or something equally strange like that.

BTW…she's already moved in. I didn't really feel like writing in the actual move. Moving is boring. I hate moving. I hate _writing_ about moving; no matter how much fun I could have writing House/Cameron interaction during said move. Too much thought process involved and work has already destroyed most of my thinking. Thank God that writing comes somewhat naturally to me…

xXx

obsessedwithstabler: I still find it hi-larious that you named your cats after House characters. Lol

AineMorrigan: I love Flogging Molly!! Glad you liked the chapter!

Sweetgreuy: I'm glad it meets your approval!

SilvaK: I love that line and it makes me happy when people use it. : )

whoKMH: Well, I fixed the continuity issue and am glad you found the rest of the chapter to your liking. : )

vands88: I'm glad you like it! Thanks for the input!

NM 42: I'm glad they're all in character! That takes a load off my back! And I appreciate the support. Go picket for me my friend for I cannot!

Bellydancerakn: I'm not dissing the mustard greens! I promise! Nor the sonic screwdriver…not that I've seen Doctor Who. I probably should. And you would be correct in the assumption that Kate is just Chase with funbags. And the valley girl accent. Lol. Nice to see that my image of her is being correctly portrayed.

AllisonCammie: I'm glad you liked it!

xXx

"Why does it just happen that our date is on the same night as Lisa and James'?" Allison was browsing through her shirts in the drawer trying to find the shirt he had made for her. "I know I saw the shirt as I was unpacking…"

Greg was sprawled out on the bed watching in amusement as his girlfriend was frantically trying to find the matching shirt he had donned a half an hour ago. "Hey, I planned our date weeks ago. Wilson asked Cuddy, what, this week?" He scoffed with a grin. "And please, the carnival? How juvenile is that? Motocross is a much more mature event."

"Can't argue with _that_ logic." Her muffled voice was no less sarcastic than it would have been if he could hear her perfectly, and she ignored his muttered 'damn straight'. "Voila!" She said, triumphantly holding up the black t-shirt. "Found it."

"Great. Put it on so we can go." He got up off the bed and limped over to her, giving her a quick kiss and a light smack on the rump as he left the room.

She shot him a look and quickly stripped the tank-top she had thrown on after her shower and pulled the shirt in her hand over her head, taking care not to snag her ponytail. Straightening the shirt, she turned to the mirror and gave her profile a quick once-over. With a frown of self-disapproval, she pulled her ponytail out and shook out her hair, once again glancing at her profile.

"You're sexy. Let's go."

Greg's somewhat distant voice sounded impatient and she looked out of the bedroom door to see him standing by the front door with his cane in one hand and her jacket in the other. He motioned with his cane towards the door and made an exaggerated motion in looking at his watch.

She laughed and grabbed her purse on the way towards the front door. "I'm ready, let's go."

"Finally!" He complained good-naturedly. "God, women take so long to get ready." He locked the door behind them and they pair walked rather briskly towards her car. As he opened the door and settled himself in the driver's seat, he muttered so she could hear him. "I still want to take the bike."

"Greg, it's the beginning of October! It's too cold to be on the bike. I'm not going to arrive at the motocross an ice cube."

"Nah, you're too skinny to be a cube. You'd be an icicle." He grinned widely at her aggravated groan and gunned the engine, sending them on their speedy way to the motocross track.

xXx

"Why is our date the same night as Greg and Allison's?" Cuddy unknowingly repeated Allison's question as she studied her profile in the floor length mirror of her hallway.

Wilson shrugged nonchalantly from his seat in her living room and answered with a question of his own. "Why is the carnival in town the same weekend as the motocross?"

She laughed. "You have a point there." She frowned at her reflection. "Is this too dressy? Should I be more casual? Is that even acceptable?" She motioned to her khaki dress pants and sweater.

Wilson glanced down at his dark blue jeans, t-shirt, and unzipped lightweight jacket before looking at her. "Lisa, this is a carnival. It's okay to be casual."

Her eyes took in his form and she gave a slight laugh. "Right." She glanced back at her reflection. "So I guess what I'm wearing is a bit much?"

"Just a bit." He confessed with a small grin. "Though you do look beautiful, I must admit." He was quick to rectify his previous admission so she wouldn't think that he thought that she didn't look nice.

"Thank you, James. What _should_ I wear instead?"

He thought to something Cameron had told him that House had told her and he smiled. "Low-rider jeans are hot."

Cuddy laughed as she walked into her bedroom. "I'll see what I can find." She called out to him, leaving the door open. Her voice sounded muffled and he could only assume that she was rummaging around in her closet for something else to wear. "What did House tell you about Allison moving in?"

Wilson shrugged, and then remembered that she couldn't see him. "Nothing more than he told you, I'm sure."

"What did he tell you exactly?"

Now her voice was even more muffled and for some reason it amused Wilson. He stifled a laugh and answered her. "Just that he called her last night and told her to move in. I'm assuming that he told her that he couldn't bear life without her beside him."

"And I'm assuming that you're being sarcastic now."

Her voice was much clearer and Wilson gave an inaudible sigh of relief that he could now understand her better. "Well, yeah. He probably just demanded that she pack all her belongings and move."

"Now_ that_ I see happening."

She walked out of the bedroom and Wilson just barely stopped himself from letting out a wolf-whistle that would make House proud. He settled instead for let out a soft 'damn' and staring at her. "Wow. You look…wow."

She grinned at his flustered appearance. "I take it you approve." She did a little twirl to show off her outfit. She had indeed found a pair of low-riders and a dark green long-sleeved scooped neck shirt that was very simple, yet somehow suited her perfectly. She pulled her lightweight, casual jacket out of the hall closet and gave the still shocked Wilson a smile. "I'm ready."

xXx

Allison couldn't help the smile that brightened her face at the familiar sounds of motors, people, and general noise that she remembered from the monster trucks.

"Happy?"

His warm breath on her ear sent shivers down her spine, though they weren't from being chilled. "Very." She turned around slightly to meet his intense stare.

He was the one to initiate the intimate contact and she felt warm just feeling his kiss. Just as abruptly, he pulled back and slid his hand down her arm to join with hers. "C'mon." He tugged on her hand and they started walking.

It was much warmer than they had anticipated and they had shed their jackets, opting instead to carry them as they walked. They had almost forgotten about their shirts when a young kid in a beanie hat who couldn't have been more than 15 stopped and stared at them. "Dude, ain't she a bit young for you?"

Greg was startled at a voice addressing him and fixed a glare on the boy. "Don't ask rude questions like that, kid. It's going to get you hurt someday." He pointed his cane at the now scared kid and growled. "It's none of your business who I'm with or who I'm not. She may be young, but she sure the hell is a lot better than anything you'll ever get." He stopped when the woman in question gave his hand a quick squeeze and he finished with another shake of his cane. "The cane doesn't mean I'm old. It just means I'm crippled."

"Got it man, sorry." The kid backed away from Greg until he was far enough that he could run safely without the fear of having a flying projectile thrown at his head.

"Life with you is never going to be boring, is it?" Her tone was amused as they continued on towards the track.

"I'm _never_ boring." He said proudly, his hand still tightly holding hers. "In fact…speaking of being exciting…" He paused long enough to pull his phone out of his pocket. Looping his arm around her waist, he handed her his cane and tugged on her to keep her walking, his limp more pronounced since he was using Allison as a cane.

"Get lucky yet?"

His date groaned when she realized who he was calling.

"Of course you're going to sabotage Wilson's date." She muttered, though a small grin was lighting her face as she watched her boyfriend interact with his best friend via phone. "Even if you can't do it in person, you're still going to try."

xXx

The noises of the carnival were filtering through the open car door when his phone rang. With a groan of annoyance at the caller ID, Wilson answered it. "What do you want, House?"

_Get lucky yet?_

"No, I haven't 'gotten lucky' yet." He rolled his eyes. "Why is everything sex with you?"

_Why does everyone assume that I'm talking about sex? Get your mind out of the gutter! I just wanted to know if you got lucky in winning one of those overpriced games that have cheep stuffed animals._

"That would have to be a no as well. Go away." With that, Wilson hung up the phone and pocketed it once more, a slight scowl marring his otherwise boyish features.

Cuddy was shaking with suppressed laughter. "Here's an idea. We tell him on Monday that we have to get married because I'm carrying your love child."

Wilson winced slightly at the thought of telling House something like that. "And then the whole hospital would find out, only the story everyone would eventually believe will be the one House will fabricate out of said story, leaving us in a huge mess with no way out." He grinned at her. "Though his initial reaction would be quite amusing…"

He pulled an exaggerated expression of surprise that House would have been proud of, sending his date into an abundance of giggles. He grinned at her reaction and placed a hand on the small of her back. "Let's do some of those overpriced games House mentioned first. Maybe we'll win something."

xXx

"He is so getting some tonight." Greg was gleeful as he hung up the phone. "Come on, the next race is in five minutes."

"Must you do that every time Wilson has a date?" Allison questioned.

He acted offended. "Of course! It's my job as the best friend to sabotage each and every date he hopes to have."

She rolled her eyes and glanced over at the cotton candy stand they were passing with slight trepidation.

Greg noticed her look towards the stand and grinned. "Ooh, cotton candy!" He gleefully dragged her over to the stand and quickly purchased two of the overpriced sticks of fluffy sugar and handed one to her.

She took it with a slight glare but still thanked him, reluctantly releasing his hand. With a slight grimace on her face, she nibbled at the sweet treat in her hand. "I swear, if this gets all over me like last time…" She nibbled at it again, successfully getting a small bite without getting all sticky.

"There isn't anything cuter than seeing you trying not to get that all over your face." He sounded amused as he took a huge bite out of his cotton candy. She laughed when she realized that he didn't even try not to let it get all caught in his beard.

"And it's hilarious to see your face covered in the stuff."

"My face isn't covered."

"Is too."

"Is not."

"It's all over your beard."

"Well _that_ may be, but not my _face_. There _is_ a difference, you know, between a face and a beard."

"I _did _go to medical school."

"Like, oh my god!" He gave a mock squeal. "Like, I did too!"

She laughed and bumped into his side lightly, pulling off some more of the sticky sweet sugar and carefully putting it into her mouth.

House took a piece of his own and moved to put it in his mouth but quickly change course and stuck it onto her cheek.

"Greg!" She protested when she felt the stickiness on her cheek. "That's what I'm trying to avoid!"

"Yeah, but if you avoid it, then it doesn't give me a reason to do this." He leaned down and kissed where the candy was stuck to her cheek, licking up the sweet sugar slowly. He grinned at her slightly hazed expression and looped his un-caned arm holding the cotton candy stick over her shoulder. "Don't move suddenly. I don't want my candy in your hair."

"No problem." She agreed, eying the fluffy pink stuff on a paper cone that was hanging over her shoulder. "I'd rather not have cotton candy in my hair." She gave a yelp of surprised when House practically yanked her over towards his chest so he could take a huge bit out of the cotton candy. "Yeah, this is going to work." She said sarcastically from her spot on his chest. "I just love being plastered to your chest while trying to walk."

"I thought you might enjoy it." He said unrepentantly, taking another bite of the pink sugar.

"Can we at least wait until I'm not attempting to walk before you try and smother me?"

He gave an annoyed sigh but grinned at her to show he was teasing. "Oh, I suppose." Dropping a kiss to her nose, he untangled her from his chest and resumed walking unattached to her. "Oh, there's a good spot!" He said loudly, pointing to a spot that was still vacant. "Quick, run and get those seats for us!"

"Greg…" Before she could reply, his phone went off again.

With a grunt of genuine annoyance, he rolled his eyes as he answered his phone. "What!"

xXx

"I can't believe you actually won!" Cuddy was laughing as she and Wilson headed off from the concessions to something a bit more exhilarating.

"Well, I just have a talent, I guess."

"Or maybe it's from throwing stuff at House all these years." She held up the brightly colored stuffed snake and grinned at him.

Wilson laughed. "Maybe. At least now we have something we can use to bate House with now."

"Oh really, what's that?"

Wilson grinned at her and flipped his phone open. Pushing quick dial, he pressed the phone to his ear.

_What!_

"Get lucky yet?" Wilson said sarcastically.

_Every night, numerous times. You?_

"God, I didn't need to know that."

_You asked._

"I meant for tonight!"

_Clarify next time. What's the point of this call?_

"I got lucky."

There was silence on the other end before a loud bout of girlish laughter came through that could only be Allison Cameron. House shhhed her before speaking again.

_I can think of two reasons why you'd tell me. No, one. You're trying to pull one over me. I can still hear people in the background, which means you haven't left the carnival yet. So that means the sex couldn't have happened, so you've called to tell me that you won something._

"No, House, we decided to be adventurous and bribe the attendant for the Ferris wheel to stop it at the top for 20 minutes for a quickie." Wilson rolled his eyes and shot Cuddy a grin.

_Really? You're more adventurous than I thought. Hey Allie, wanna try something adventurous?_

Wilson laughed when he heard Cameron's response. "Bye House."

_Yeah, bye. Allie, c'mon!_

Wilson hung up the phone before he could hear any more of the conversation and grinned widely at Cuddy. "Mission accomplished."

"What did Allison say?"

"When? Oh, when he asked if she'd try something adventurous? She said not over her dead body."

Cuddy laughed. "Good for her. So, you want to go to the Ferris wheel?"

Wilson grinned broadly. "I think that can be arranged." He slid his arm around her waist and bent to whisper in her ear. "Wanna try something adventurous?"

She gave him a grin back and whispered back. "Over my dead body."

They shared a laugh as they stood in line for the Ferris wheel, both minds whirling with the possibilities that the rest of the evening could entail.

xXx

"For the third time, I will not try something sexually adventurous, with you nor anyone else, here." Allison insisted as they settled in their seats just in time to see the first racer begin the race.

"So I guess that means no sex in the car while we're still in the parking lot." He sounded disappointed.

"No, and I'm not sure even you would risk being seen by the police."

He gagged. "Oh god, knowing my luck it would be Tritter."

She winced with him. "Yeah, see? Bad idea." She leaned towards him and whispered in his ear. "But if you behave, we'll see about after when we get home."

"Right on." He looped his arm around her shoulder and let a slow smile grace his features. Even without him looking at her, she could still see the pleased look on his face and it made her grin and she took another small bite of her cotton candy.

"Sweet!" House suddenly burst out from beside her. "Didja see that!" He was glowing with excitement. "That guy just totally pulled a superman!"

"Really?" She craned her neck to see the guy who had performed the trick and frowned slightly. "He doesn't seem like the type."

"Yeah, but if you look at his bike, it's totally the bike that someone would use for those types of tricks. It's light enough to not weigh him down but strong enough not to crumple on him."

She shrugged. "If you say so."

"I do. And I'm _always_ right."

"Uh huh." She appeared unconvinced. "And the Wright Flyer was actually invented by the Soviet Union."

"It was? I didn't know that!"

"Dork."

"I am not a whale's…"

She clapped a hand over his mouth. "Okay, wrong thing to say. You're such a dweeb."

He pulled an affronted look. "Now you insult me. I'm not a dweeb. I'm a doofus, according to Wilson."

"Yeah, well…" She smiled at him at patted his knee affectionately. "You're my doofus."

"Damn straight." He said softly before he kissed her lightly. Pulling away, he turned his attention back to the race, his arm looped around her shoulders. "Damn straight." He fell silent, his thoughts whirling on something other than the race in front of him.

xXx

"No. No, no, no, no, no. This cannot be happening to me."

Wilson couldn't believe it. After all his joking to House about bribing attendants and having adventures on Ferris wheels, he was well on his way to shooting whoever was in charge of karma.

"I do believe we've stopped." Cuddy was enjoying Wilson's discomfort and wondered silently if she should feel guilty for doing so. At the agonized look in his eye, she felt a bit sorry for him and patted his knee gently. "The date isn't ruined, James."

"Didn't think it was." He muttered throwing a mental glare at his best friend who was all the way across town.

"It's ironic, though, isn't it?" Cuddy continued as if he hadn't spoken. "Here we told House that we bribed an attendant to stop the wheel and look, it stopped! And we didn't have to bribe anyone. That, to me, is hilarious."

Wilson gave a small smile at that statement and looked over at his date. "Well, I suppose it _is _funny. And, it'll make our story seem a bit more plausible."

Cuddy laughed and leaned on his shoulder, allowing Wilson to comfortably put his arm around her. "It's nice to have some quiet time while the people below try and fix the wheel.

The sounds of the carnival drifted into oblivion as the two doctors cuddled in the slightly swinging cart of the wheel, simply enjoying the presence of the other.

xXx

"I have to pee." House announced suddenly, untangling his arm from over her shoulders. "I'll be back."

Allison frowned slightly. "Okay." She moved so he could get by her and she settled back in her seat, focusing back on the races.

Moving in the direction of the bathrooms, as soon as he was out of sight of his girlfriend, he veered off into the direction of the parking lot, needing a bit more privacy than the bathroom would give.

Standing at the edge of the crowd, he picked up his phone and dialed a number that he had memorized long ago.

"Hello Kaeyla. Greg here."

_GREGORY HOUSE! Why didn't you tell me that you asked my Allie to move in with you!_

With a wince at the loud voice, he continued. "Sorry, Kaeyla. Listen, I have another favor to ask of you."

_Hey, if you're asking for permission to marry her, by all means, you have my permission!_

"Isn't her mother supposed to be telling me that it's a bit soon to be thinking about marriage?"

_Greg, I've seen _glaciers_ that move at faster speeds than you do._

"We've only been dating about two months."

_Three. And you've been dancing around your feelings for three_ years_ now. I think that it all justifies itself in the end._

"Kaeyla…"

_Right, right. Shut up. Doing so now. Allie told me the same thing when I asked her if you'd asked her yet. 'Mom, shut up.'_

"Because I can see Allie saying that."

_Okay, so maybe I read between the lines._

House laughed. He couldn't help it at her disgruntled tone.

_Now, you confirmed bachelor you, about this favor. What can I do for you?_

"Well, it's not really a favor, but more like a request. You can say no."

_Out with it, Greg! I'm not a patient woman._

"I can tell."

_Greg…_

"Okay, okay. I need something…"

xXx

"Ahhh!" Wilson was jolted from his light nap as a shudder from the great wheel rippled through the cart. "It's alive!"

"Hey, they fixed the wheel!" Cuddy was equally surprised, though not quite as flustered as Wilson. She too had fallen asleep and was slightly disappointed in the fact that the warmth she had felt snuggled up to the oncologist was gone.

Apparently, Wilson felt the same way because he tucked her at his side once more and looked over her side of the cart. "Hmmm, is it just me, or are we moving faster than we should?"

"I think we're fine." Cuddy replied, though her voice betrayed her slight worry as she had had the same thought.

As they zipped by the operator and the mechanic, Wilson caught a glance of the fear in their faces. "Great." He said, throwing his free hand up in frustration. "We're doomed."

"Oh, god, you're right." Cuddy started to panic. "What if they can't stop the wheel?"

"Then at least we'll die together."

"James! How can you even _think_ that?"

"Sorry, just trying to make you a little less anxious."

"Well, you blew it!" She snapped, though there wasn't much venom behind the words. She clutched Wilson's arm and closed her eyes.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you." Wilson warned.

"Why?"

"I really don't want you to puke all over me."

"Right." She forced her eyes open again and shuddered as the attendants flashed by once more. "I'm not sure how much more of this I can take." She was starting to look green.

"Relax, we'll be fine." Wilson said with bravado that he didn't quite feel.

"Your tone is very reassuring." Cuddy said dryly, trying not to panic.

"I aim to please." He said as smugly as he could with his stomach going all a-whirl on him.

Cuddy glanced over the side before pulling her head back into the safety of the cart. "Are we slowing down yet or is it just me?"

Wilson risked a peek down to the ground and sighed in relief. "I think so."

Much to theirs, and everyone else on the Ferris wheel's relief, the wheel was indeed slowing down and was soon letting people off.

The manager of the carnival and the operator of the ride were apologizing profusely to each and every passenger that disembarked, offering them a full refund of their ticket.

"How's that for an adventure?" Wilson quipped weakly as they finally stepped onto solid ground.

Cuddy simply slugged his arm in reply and proceeded to lose whatever food she had consumed that evening into the nearest trashcan.

xXx

"Where were you?" Allison asked curiously when Greg returned later than she was expecting.

"Long line." He explained in lue of an answer. "Didn't know that there were that many constipated men out here."

"That's disgusting." She shuddered, though she eyed him carefully. He held the look of someone who was keeping a secret and for Greg House to have a secret could prove dangerous.

"I made a phone call." He said finally. "Don't worry about it."

She shrugged. "I wasn't worried."

"Yes you were. I could read it in your eyes."

She shot him a look that said 'whatever' and turned her attention back to the races.

They sat in relative silence for another half-hour before House decided that he was sick of sitting. "C'mon. I wanna get to the sex part of the evening, and you told me that it wasn't happening here."

"I think Wilson's right." Allison griped light-heartedly as they made their way to the car. "You only think about sex."

"I do not." He protested. "I think about other things."

"Oh, like what?"

"You."

"I'm not sure if that's an insult or not that you consider thinking of me _not_ sex."

"Hmm…you're right at that. Work."

"There you go. Sex and work. Those are your two thoughts."

"Yup. Although they do sometimes mingle…"

"Dear lord, please tell me that you don't think about differentials during sex."

"Of course not! Although I am interested in the fact that you didn't mention me thinking of sexing you during a differential as a problem."

"Like I said." She said as they reached the car. "Sex all the time."

"Well let's go home and get to it then!"

xXx

"House!"

The man in question rolled his eyes at the bellow from the Dean's office as he sauntered into the hospital at 9:00 the next morning, Allison walking a mite gingerly next to him.

"What!" He bellowed back as he and Allison reached the elevator.

"My office, now."

"Geez. What has her panties in a bunch?" He muttered as he turned around. "I'll see you at lunch?"

"It's a date."

"Great. Can we have the same outcome as last night?"

"In your dreams, Greg."

"Yeah, you're in there, too."

House slowly walked towards Cuddy's office, his mind mulling over the different possibilities for her sour attitude this morning.

"So, Cuddles, why the bad mood? Didn't get laid like you were hoping?"

"Oh, Wilson didn't tell you?" She smirked. "Hmmm, guess you'll have to do your clinic hours to find out."

"That's a long shot in the dark, Cuds. You know that I could always go to Wilson to get the dirty details."

"He won't tell you."

"Darn. So what _did_ happen?"

She sighed. "We went on the Ferris wheel and…"

"And had sex! I knew it!"

"No, we did not have sex!"

"Liar."

"Anyway…we were on the Ferris wheel and somehow the mechanism of something broke and we found ourselves whirling around faster than a Ferris wheel is supposed to go. When we finally got off, and after I puked my stomach out, we decided it was better to go home."

"Interesting way to end a date. Wanna hear about mine?" Without waiting for a reply, he continued. "We went to the motocross, ate cotton candy, went home, and had mind-blowing sex. It was great."

"Wonderful for you. House, I didn't call you in here to discuss our dates. I called you in here for a specific reason."

"Hmmm, sorry. I'm a happily dating man and I won't be swayed to have sex with you by your bouncing bundles of joy." He eyed her chest pointedly and smirked.

"Eyes up here." Cuddy snapped her fingers and rolled her eyes at her most bothersome doctor. "I have a written complaint here about you."

"Oh brother." It was House's turn to roll his eyes and he turned away slightly in aggravation. "What now?"

"It's Kate."

House frowned. "Who?"

"Kate Johnston. You're new immunologist? Remember, you hired her in place of Dr. Cameron?"

"Ah, yes. The idiot who claims to have graduated from med school."

"She wrote me a five page long letter in which she describes you as a tyrant and a bully."

"A tyrant?" House frowned deeply. "I was actually referred to as a tyrant? Sweet!"

"No, not _sweet_. _Bad_, House. This is a _bad_ thing!"

"To-may-to, to-mah-to."

"It needs to stop."

House groaned low in his throat. "C'mon! If she can't handle…"

"No, it's not her problem, House!" Cuddy was fully laying into him now. "It's yours. You need to stop pushing her! Stop treating her like crap! I put up with the complaints from your previous team only because they _were_ growing. Kate isn't. She's crumbling, breaking if you will. You stop, or you'll find permanent residence in the clinic."

He was about to protest when the permanent clinic hours registered in his mind. With a growl of annoyance, he turned on his heel and stalked out of the office.

xXx

_Tap, tap, tap!_

"Oh. My. God." Wilson groaned when he realized who was tapping on his balcony door. A downright evil smirk was plastered on the face of his best friend and for a moment, Wilson considered ignoring the persistent man. However, previous experience told him that to do so would prove a very unwise move. "What, House?"

"Let me in." His voice was muffled due to the glass separating them.

"No. I have work."

"I want answers!"

"Deal!" Wilson shot back.

"DID YOU HAVE SEX WITH CUDDY!"

"House, shut up!"

"You can't keep this a secret from me forever! I will find out!"

Wilson shut the blinds on his friend's annoyed expression and made his tired way back to his desk.

_Did I lock the door?_

He didn't get an opportunity to check the door.

"You're new girlfriend just called me a tyrant." House burst into Wilson's office without warning, causing Wilson to jump slightly at the sudden entrance.

Quickly composing himself, he rolled his eyes and looked up from his papers. "First of all, she's not my girlfriend. Second of all, normally you'd be acting on this by actually _proving_ her wrong. Or I suppose right in this case."

"Lunch."

"I'm busy, remember?" He gestured to the stack of papers on his desk.

"I'll pay."

"Well, if you're paying." Another eye roll and Wilson was soon following House out of the office and down the hall. "So, what _is_ your dastardly plan, my evil overlord-ness?"

"Show the world of my evilness by writing a list."

"What kind of list?"

"The kind that informs."

"Informs of what?"

"Evilness."

"I got that point."

"Then why'd you ask?"

A groan. "Because you're being very vague."

"The world needs to know of my power and prestige."

"What prestige?"

"Ouch! That hurt, Jimmy. I have feelings too, you know."

"Baby. Seriously, though. Can't you give me a serious answer for once like normal, sane human beings?"

"Show me a sane man and I will cure him for you." House announced as if that was all Wilson had mentioned.

"I'm sure you would, too. House, the list?"

"It's a list of my ideas of the changes in evil."

"Huh?"

"See, that's why I didn't tell you." House gave Wilson a knowing smirk. "You'd just give me that confused look like…" He over-imitated Wilson's stare with one of his own creation.

Wilson just rolled his eyes skyward. "Good lord, you are strange. I dream almost everyday that_ someday_ you'll be normal."

"And I dream of a better tomorrow...a tomorrow where chickens can cross the road and not have their motives questioned."

"Never mind, House. I don't want nor need you to pull me into the confusing vortex of your rational. Or, as it is in most cases, the lack there of." Wilson shook his head and held his hand up in an almost defensive manner as he walked and House limped down the hall. "Besides, I'm taking Lisa out again tonight."

"So its Lisa now, is it? She _is _your new girlfriend! Fine, I'll just have to get Allison to do it with me." House abruptly turned and headed in the opposite direction towards the cafeteria, not surprised that Wilson hadn't caught on that they were going the wrong way.

"Do what with you?" He called after House, still confused.

"My evil list, of course. What else?" He shouted over his shoulder, leaving behind a tired oncologist who couldn't remember why he was walking down the hall in the first place.

xXx

The end of the day found Allison Cameron in the Diagnostics department staring at her boyfriend in slight confusion.

"Cuddy told you that Kate called you a tyrant and you are planning on doing _what _about it?"

"Show the world of my evilness." He said slowly as if speaking to a small child. "I thought I explained this to you at lunch?"

"I got _that_ part." She rolled her eyes but smiled none-the-less. "So, how are you planning on educating the hospital about your evilness?" Allison was amused at his idea. "A list of some sort?"

He adopted an evil look and grabbed two black dry-erase markers, two copies of a thick stack of papers, two hand-drawn maps, and handed one of each to her. "We…are going to write."

With Allison following close behind, he headed towards Cuddy's office via the elevator. "Wait, Greg, won't she see us doing this?"

"Nope." He grinned. "Wilson's taking her out again tonight. She won't be in until tomorrow morning."

An answering grin crossed her face as she pictured Cuddy's face when she would see what they were about to do.

He started to write on the glass walls starting at Cuddy's office with an arrow pointing to across the lobby. "Five on each place, though some have more, some less. Five here, five on the elevator door, five in the elevator, and so on and so forth. I've highlighted yours. Wait until I'm up there before you start writing so I can make sure you have it right."

"I'm hurt that you don't trust me to do this right, Greg." She said with a straight face. However, at his incredulous look, she started laughing and headed towards the elevator. "That is more than fine with me. I'll start writing in the elevator."

xXx

AN: The next one will be up relatively shortly. It's hi-larious, too. (Anyone a Firefly fan? I am.) Meh, I think it's funny at least… It's more of a random chapter. Filler, if you will.

And a refresher on the shirts…

Cameron's: "I'm with Dr. Genius" and has an arrow pointing to the right. In small letters on the back of the shirt: "Property of PPHT and the Grumpy Gimp."

House's: "I'm with Dr. Lobby Art" and had an arrow pointing to the left. In small letters on the back of the shirt: "Property of PPHT and the Emotional Duckling."


	24. The Life of an Overlord and Reality

Story Title: Touch of Destiny

Chapter 24: The Life of an Overlord and Reality

Chapter summery: House tells the hospital what he would do if he became the supreme overlord of the world and our favorite couple gets an unexpected surprise.

xXx

Disclaimer: Not mine, unless you don't recognize a character. Then it is mine, and you shouldn't take it. Such as….Dotty Myers, Kate Johnston, and Mark Fredrick are all mine. And Firefly belongs to Joss. Joss is boss! Though I do wish he'd give me the rights… Yay for Fox Network programming for having the show! And boo on Fox Network for discontinuing it! BRING IT BACK!!!!

AN: I'm sorry; I don't remember the website that I found the overlord information on. Actually, I've had them saved on my computer for probably three years now. One of my friends sent them to me in an email. Try searching for "The Top 100 things I'd do as an evil overlord." That might work.

And…the end of the chapter is for whoKMH who suggested something at the end of chapter…20-something. You and your ideas rock!

xXx

morganka: I'm glad you liked it, which I'm deducing from the long line of 'lol''s

whoKMH: Oh the joys of being a writer. You'll enjoy the next couple of chapters, I'm sure.

ShipperCrazed – FanFicCrazy: Thanks!

Obsessedwithstabler: You and your guttered mind. Lol! Hello House cats!

SilvaK: I love writing in parallel. Glad you enjoyed it!

AllisonCammie: Ahhh, I love my job! Keep reading!

Sweetgreuy: I think you'll find later on in my story that she was corrupted long before she met Greg House…evil grin

bandbfan24: I'm am thrilled that you found too many funny parts to list. And I loved the chickens comment too.

Boneswhisper: Me too! Keep reading and reviewing!

NM 42: My job is complete! I've written something that keeps people longing for more. And you used hi-larious! Haha! Okay, I'm done…

Bellydancerakn: Thanks for the websites! I love Firefly. Keep reading! This is going to go places no one has expected.

xXx

The first thing Cuddy saw when she walked into the hospital was black marker written all over the walls of the lobby. She halted in her tracks and started to mentally freak out.

_What the hell?!_

Moving closer to her office, she realized that in his diagnostic handwriting, House had written these words.

_People of the PPTH and surrounding area. Starting here and moving with the arrows, you will find a list of what will happen if I ever become an evil warlord. Enjoy. GH PS. Whoever erases this before I give orders for them to be will die a very slow and painful death. I am a doctor. I have access to many drugs. Cuddy, this includes you._

This last part was followed by an eye roll from the woman in question. She noticed an arrow pointing to the first list of five. She read them with slight trepidation.

_My Legions of Terror will have helmets with clear Plexiglas visors, not face-concealing ones.  
_

_My ventilation ducts will be too small to crawl through.  
_

_My noble half-brother, whose throne I usurped will be killed, not kept anonymously imprisoned in a forgotten cell of my dungeon.  
_

_Shooting is __not__ too good for my enemies.  
_

_The artifact which is the source of my power will not be kept on the Mountain of Despair beyond the River of Fire guarded by the Dragons of Eternity. It will be in my safe-deposit box. The same applies to the object which is my one weakness. _

She sighed as she realized that another arrow with the words _past the door_ pointed towards the other side of the lobby.

_He is getting more clinic hours for this, no doubt about it._

She moved towards where the arrow pointed and her head dropped into her hands as she realized that the words were written on the elevator doors.

_I will not gloat over my enemies' predicament before killing them.  
_

_When I've captured my adversary and he says, "Look, before you kill me, will you at least tell me what this is all about?" I'll say, "No." and shoot him. Wait, on second thought I'll shoot him and _then_ say "No."  
_

_After I kidnap the beautiful princess, we will be married immediately in a quiet civil ceremony, not a lavish spectacle in three weeks' time during which the final phase of my plan will be carried out.   
_

_I will not include a self-destruct mechanism unless absolutely necessary. If it is necessary, it will not be a large red button labeled "Danger: Do Not Push". The big red button marked "Do Not Push" will instead trigger a spray of bullets on anyone stupid enough to disregard it. Similarly, the ON/OFF switch will not clearly be labeled as such.  
_

_I will not interrogate my enemies in the inner sanctum -- a small hotel well outside my borders will work just as well. _

"Yup." She muttered out loud as she stalked into her office. "Definitely more clinic hours."

xXx

Allison, who had used quite a bit of makeup to appear more awake then she actually was, was still laughing over the ones he had written in the lobby and on the elevator. She re-read the ones she had written inside the elevator herself, minus the girly 'G's.'

_I will be secure in my superiority. Therefore, I will feel no need to prove it by leaving clues in the form of riddles or leaving my weaker enemies alive to show they pose no threat.  
_

_One of my advisors will be an average five-year-old child. Any flaws in my plan that he is able to spot will be corrected before implementation.  
_

_All slain enemies will be cremated, or at least have several rounds of ammunition emptied into them, not left for dead at the bottom of the cliff. The announcement of their deaths, as well as any accompanying celebration, will be deferred until after the aforementioned disposal.  
_

_The hero is not entitled to a last kiss, a last cigarette, or any other form of last request.  
_

_I will never employ any device with a digital countdown. If I find that such a device is absolutely unavoidable, I will set it to activate when the counter reaches 117 and the hero is just putting his plan into operation. _

She chuckled to herself at the memory of her and Greg writing these all over the hospital. She thought to where the pair had written the next set. Wilson was in for some shocking times of his own.

xXx

Wilson was still in shock as he walked towards his office. He had read at least 15 different changes in evil overlords and was greatly amused at his friend's ingenuity. It was amusing just as long as House hadn't…

He groaned at the sight of his office door. Due to him not having any glass walls, House had opted for writing on pieces of computer paper and taping them all over the door. Wilson sighed and read the five on his door.

_I will never utter the sentence "But before I kill you, there's just one thing I want to know."  
_

_When I employ people as advisors, I will occasionally listen to their advice.  
_

_I will not have a son. Although his laughably under-planned attempt to usurp power would easily fail, it would provide a fatal distraction at a crucial point in time.  
_

_I will not have a daughter. She would be as beautiful as she was evil, but one look at the hero's rugged countenance and she'd betray her own father.  
_

_Despite its proven stress-relieving effect, I will not indulge in maniacal laughter. When so occupied, it's too easy to miss unexpected developments that a more attentive individual could adjust to accordingly. _

An arrow pointed into his office. He feared to open the door for what he might find inside. He cracked the door open and threw a glare in the direction of House's office. For inside Wilson's office had, in huge letters, five more written on the glass door to the balcony with a small arrow pointing back to the hallway.

_I will hire a talented fashion designer to create original uniforms for my Legions of Terror, as opposed to some cheap knock-offs that make them look like Nazi storm troopers, Roman foot soldiers, or savage Mongol hordes. All were eventually defeated and I want my troops to have a more positive mind-set.  
_

_No matter how tempted I am with the prospect of unlimited power, I will not consume any energy field bigger than my head.  
_

_I will keep a special cache of low-tech weapons and train my troops in their use. That way -- even if the heroes manage to neutralize my power generator and/or render the standard-issue energy weapons useless -- my troops will not be overrun by a handful of savages armed with spears and rocks.  
_

_I will maintain a realistic assessment of my strengths and weaknesses. Even though this takes some of the fun out of the job, at least I will never utter the line "No, this cannot be! I AM INVINCIBLE!!!" (After that, death is usually instantaneous.)  
_

_No matter how well it would perform, I will never construct any sort of machinery which is completely indestructible except for one small and virtually inaccessible vulnerable spot._

"Lovely." Wilson muttered. "Thanks to House and his ingenious idea, I'm going to have people filing in here all day." He sat down at his desk and resigned himself to the idea of having the entire hospital go through his office just to read the inane list.

xXx

Kate Johnston had ignored the written words thus far but found it incredibly hard to ignore the 10 written all over the diagnostics department's glass walls. She found herself reading the list.

_No matter how attractive certain members of the rebellion are, there is probably someone just as attractive who is not desperate to kill me. Therefore, I will think twice before ordering a prisoner sent to my bedchamber.  
_

_I will never build only one of anything important. All important systems will have redundant control panels and power supplies. For the same reason I will always carry at least two fully loaded weapons at all times.  
_

_My pet monster will be kept in a secure cage from which it cannot escape and into which I could not accidentally stumble.  
_

_I will dress in bright and cheery colors, and so throw my enemies into confusion.  
_

_All bumbling conjurers, clumsy squires, no-talent bards, and cowardly thieves in the land will be preemptively put to death. My foes will surely give up and abandon their quest if they have no source of comic relief.  
_

_All naive, busty tavern wenches in my realm will be replaced with surly, world-weary waitresses who will provide no unexpected reinforcement and/or romantic subplot for the hero or his sidekick.  
_

_I will not fly into a rage and kill a messenger who brings me bad news just to illustrate how evil I really am. Good messengers are hard to come by.  
_

_I won't require high-ranking female members of my organization to wear a stainless-steel bustier. Morale is better with a more casual dress-code. Similarly, outfits made entirely from black leather will be reserved for formal occasions.  
_

_I will not turn into a snake. It never helps.  
_

_I will not grow a goatee. In the old days they made you look diabolic. Now they just make you look like a disaffected member of Generation X. _

She groaned and walked into the office. Much to her chagrin, five more were written in small letters on the white board with an arrow pointing to House's office door where five more were written. She shook her head and read the next 10.

_I will not imprison members of the same party in the same cell block, let alone the same cell. If they are important prisoners, I will keep the only key to the cell door on my person instead of handing out copies to every bottom-rung guard in the prison.  
_

_If my trusted lieutenant tells me my Legions of Terror are losing a battle, I will believe him. After all, he's my trusted lieutenant.  
_

_If an enemy I have just killed has a younger sibling or offspring anywhere, I will find them and have them killed immediately, instead of waiting for them to grow up harboring feelings of vengeance towards me in my old age.  
_

_If I absolutely must ride into battle, I will certainly not ride at the forefront of my Legions of Terror, nor will I seek out my opposite number among his army.  
_

_I will be neither chivalrous nor sporting. If I have an unstoppable super weapon, I will use it as early and as often as possible instead of keeping it in reserve.  
_

_Once my power is secure, I will destroy all those pesky time-travel devices.  
_

_When I capture the hero, I will make sure I also get his dog, monkey, ferret, or whatever sickeningly cute little animal capable of untying ropes and filching keys happens to follow him around.  
_

_I will maintain a healthy amount of skepticism when I capture the beautiful rebel and she claims she is attracted to my power and good looks and will gladly betray her companions if I just let her in on my plans.  
_

_I will only employ bounty hunters who work for money. Those who work for the pleasure of the hunt tend to do dumb things like even the odds to give the other guy a sporting chance.  
_

_I will make sure I have a clear understanding of who is responsible for what in my organization. For example, if my general screws up I will not draw my weapon, point it at him, say "And here is the price for failure," then suddenly turn and kill some random underling. _

There was another arrow pointing to his office walls on the outside of the department, but she ignored it. She was here to be a doctor, not play around with 'Evil Warlord' business. She set to making the coffee, hoping that she could make it according to House's preferences. She wasn't Dr. Cameron, and she praised God that she didn't have to see Dr. House any more than she already did. Where _did_ he get these ridiculous ideas anyway?

xXx

Mark Fredrick, however new he might be, realized as he passed through the diagnostics department that Drs. House and Cameron had an amazing sense of humor. He ignored Kate, who seemed to be in a bad mood, and continued on reading the list.

_If an advisor says to me "My liege, he is but one man. What can one man possibly do?" I will reply "This." and kill the advisor.  
_

_If I learn that a callow youth has begun a quest to destroy me, I will slay him while he is still a callow youth instead of waiting for him to mature.  
_

_I will treat any beast which I control through magic or technology with respect and kindness. Thus if the control is ever broken, it will not immediately come after me for revenge.  
_

_If I learn the whereabouts of the one artifact which can destroy me, I will not send all my troops out to seize it. Instead I will send them out to seize something else and quietly put a Want-Ad in the local paper.  
_

_My main computers will have their own special operating system that will be completely incompatible with standard IBM and Macintosh PowerBooks._

He started to laugh when he saw that the next arrow said _to the bathrooms_. He walked down towards where the bathrooms were and smirked when he saw that the arrow pointed to the women's bathroom's first. Without a second thought, he barreled into the bathroom. Luckily for him, it was empty. He wasn't really all that surprised. If he were a woman, he wouldn't use these bathrooms today either.

_If one of my dungeon guards begins expressing concern over the conditions in the beautiful princess' cell, I will immediately transfer him to a less people-oriented position.  
_

_I will hire a team of board-certified architects and surveyors to examine my castle and inform me of any secret passages and abandoned tunnels that I might not know about.  
_

_If the beautiful princess that I capture says "I'll never marry you! Never, do you hear me, NEVER!!!" I will say "Oh well" and kill her.  
_

_I will not strike a bargain with a demonic being then attempt to double-cross it simply because I feel like being contrary.  
_

_The deformed mutants and odd-ball psychotics will have their place in my Legions of Terror. However before I send them out on important covert missions that require tact and subtlety, I will first see if there is anyone else equally qualified who would attract less attention. _

He grinned at Dr. Cameron who came into the bathroom as he was leaving. "There went my notion that a woman wouldn't use this bathroom today. This is freakin' brilliant, Dr. Cameron."

She grinned back. "Thank you, Dr. Fredrick, but it is really Dr. House you should tell. However…"

"Don't tell him because he hates a kiss-ass." He finished. "I know."

She laughed lightly and shook her head in amusement. "Good. Enjoy the rest of your reading."

He turned into the men's restrooms to read the next five.

_My Legions of Terror will be trained in basic marksmanship. Any who cannot learn to hit a man-sized target at 10 meters will be used for target practice.  
_

_Before employing any captured artifacts or machinery, I will carefully read the owner's manual.  
_

_If it becomes necessary to escape, I will never stop to pose dramatically and toss off a one-liner.  
_

_I will never build a sentient computer smarter than I am.  
_

_My five-year-old child advisor will also be asked to decipher any code I am thinking of using. If he breaks the code in under 30 seconds, it will not be used. Note: this also applies to passwords. _

He noticed that the arrow pointed to the left with a note attached. _Go to the lab._

xXx

Foreman had been one of the first ones in so he was one of the first to begin reading the notes. He was now in the lab reading the next 10 that were trailing all over the lab's glass walls like a teenage girl was signing a yearbook. _Definitely Cameron._ He thought as he began to read. _The lab certainly seems to be a favorite place of hers._

_If my advisors ask "Why are you risking everything on such a mad scheme?" I will not proceed until I have a response that satisfies them.  
_

_I will design fortress hallways with no alcoves or protruding structural supports which intruders could use for cover in a firefight.  
_

_Bulk trash will be disposed of in incinerators, not compactors. And they will be kept hot, with none of that nonsense about flames going through accessible tunnels at predictable intervals.  
_

_I will see a competent psychiatrist and get cured of all extremely unusual phobias and bizarre compulsive habits which could prove to be a disadvantage.  
_

_If I must have computer systems with publicly available terminals, the maps they display of my complex will have a room clearly marked as the Main Control Room. That room will be the Execution Chamber. The actual main control room will be marked as Sewage Overflow Containment.  
_

_My security keypad will actually be a fingerprint scanner. Anyone who watches someone press a sequence of buttons or dusts the pad for fingerprints then subsequently tries to enter by repeating that sequence will trigger the alarm system.  
_

_No matter how many shorts we have in the system, my guards will be instructed to treat every surveillance camera malfunction as a full-scale emergency.  
_

_I will spare someone who saved my life sometime in the past. This is only reasonable as it encourages others to do so. However, the offer is good one time only. If they want me to spare them again, they'd better save my life again.  
_

_All midwives will be banned from the realm. All babies will be delivered at state-approved hospitals. Orphans will be placed in foster-homes, not abandoned in the woods to be raised by creatures of the wild.  
_

_When my guards split up to search for intruders, they will always travel in groups of at least two. They will be trained so that if one of them disappears mysteriously while on patrol, the other will immediately initiate an alert and call for backup, instead of quizzically peering around a corner. _

Foreman was laughing as he continued on to where the arrows commanded next: the clinic. He was beginning to appreciate House's sense of humor. At least today wasn't going to be dull or severely unethical like most every other day ended up becoming.

xXx

Brenda was furious as she realized that inside each clinic room was another five criteria House or Cameron had written. She started at Exam room One and briefly considered each one before going on through Exam room two and Exam room Three.

_If I decide to test a lieutenant's loyalty and see if he/she should be made a trusted lieutenant, I will have a crack squad of marksmen standing by in case the answer is no.  
_

_If all the heroes are standing together around a strange device and begin to taunt me, I will pull out a conventional weapon instead of using my unstoppable super weapon on them.  
_

_I will not agree to let the heroes go free if they win a rigged contest, even though my advisors assure me it is impossible for them to win.  
_

_When I create a multimedia presentation of my plan designed so that my five-year-old advisor can easily understand the details, I will not label the disk "Project Overlord" and leave it lying on top of my desk.  
_

_I will instruct my Legions of Terror to attack the hero en masse, instead of standing around waiting while members break off and attack one or two at a time. _

"Well, this isn't _too_ bad." She muttered to herself as she pushed open the door to Exam room 2.

_If the hero runs up to my roof, I will not run up after him and struggle with him in an attempt to push him over the edge. I will also not engage him at the edge of a cliff. (In the middle of a rope-bridge over a river of molten lava is not even worth considering.)  
_

_If I have a fit of temporary insanity and decide to give the hero the chance to reject a job as my trusted lieutenant, I will retain enough sanity to wait until my current trusted lieutenant is out of earshot before making the offer.  
_

_I will not tell my Legions of Terror "And he must be taken alive!" The command will be "And try to take him alive if it is reasonably practical."  
_

_If my doomsday device happens to come with a reverse switch, as soon as it has been employed it will be melted down and made into limited-edition commemorative coins.  
_

_If my weakest troops fail to eliminate a hero, I will send out my best troops instead of wasting time with progressively stronger ones as he gets closer and closer to my fortress. _

"Okay, so it's funny." She griped. "But a waste of time and marker." She continued onto room 3.

_If I am fighting with the hero atop a moving platform, have disarmed him, and am about to finish him off and he glances behind me and drops flat, I too will drop flat instead of quizzically turning around to find out what he saw.  
_

_I will not shoot at any of my enemies if they are standing in front of the crucial support beam to a heavy, dangerous, unbalanced structure.  
_

_If I'm eating dinner with the hero, put poison in his goblet, then have to leave the table for any reason, I will order new drinks for both of us instead of trying to decide whether or not to switch with him.  
_

_I will not have captives of one sex guarded by members of the opposite sex.  
_

_I will not use any plan in which the final step is horribly complicated, e.g. "Align the 12 Stones of Power on the sacred altar then activate the medallion at the moment of total eclipse." Instead it will be more along the lines of "Push the button." _

She stalked out of the clinic and ignored the sign with the arrow telling the people to continue onto the patient rooms on first floor.

xXx

The first patient room was occupied by a man who was currently asleep. He was due to be discharged today so House had had no qualms about writing the next five on his window. They read as such.

_I will make sure that my doomsday device is up to code and properly grounded.  
_

_My vats of hazardous chemicals will be covered when not in use. Also, I will not construct walkways above them.  
_

_If a group of henchmen fail miserably at a task, I will not berate them for incompetence then send the same group out to try the task again.  
_

_After I capture the hero's super weapon, I will not immediately disband my legions and relax my guard because I believe whoever holds the weapon is unstoppable. After all, the hero held the weapon and I took it from him.  
_

_I will not design my Main Control Room so that every workstation is facing away from the door. _

The second patient room was empty, but a small flock of nurses were still gathered around to read another five, this time written by Cameron.

_I will not ignore the messenger that stumbles in exhausted and obviously agitated until my personal grooming or current entertainment is finished. It might actually be important.  
_

_If I ever talk to the hero on the phone, I will not taunt him. Instead I will say that his dogged perseverance has given me new insight on the futility of my evil ways and that if he leaves me alone for a few months of quiet contemplation I will likely return to the path of righteousness. (Heroes are incredibly gullible in this regard.)  
_

_If I decide to hold a double execution of the hero and an underling who failed or betrayed me, I will see to it that the hero is scheduled to go first.  
_

_When arresting prisoners, my guards will not allow them to stop and grab a useless trinket of purely sentimental value.  
_

_My dungeon will have its own qualified medical staff complete with bodyguards. That way if a prisoner becomes sick and his cellmate tells the guard it's an emergency, the guard will fetch a trauma team instead of opening up the cell for a look. _

At the third patient room, a three-year-old girl was greatly amused by the fact that a group of intern doctors were gathered to read some silly words that she couldn't read written on her window facing the hallway.

_My door mechanisms will be designed so that blasting the control panel on the outside seals the door and blasting the control panel on the inside opens the door, not vice versa.  
_

_My dungeon cells will not be furnished with objects that contain reflective surfaces or anything that can be unraveled.  
_

_If an attractive young couple enters my realm, I will carefully monitor their activities. If I find they are happy and affectionate, I will ignore them. However if circumstance have forced them together against their will and they spend all their time bickering and criticizing each other except during the intermittent occasions when they are saving each others' lives at which point there are hints of sexual tension, I will immediately order their execution.  
_

_Any data file of crucial importance will be padded to 1.45Mb in size. _

They all groaned when they saw another arrow. It pointed in the direction of the cafeteria and instructed them to find the smallest table.

xXx

The cafeteria workers were greatly annoyed to find that a huge group of people were trying to crowd around a single, small sign in the middle of a tiny table in the far back corner of the café.

The sign read simply this.

_Finally, to keep my subjects permanently locked in a mindless trance, I will provide each of them with free unlimited Internet access._

Another arrow pointed towards the main lobby and told them to look up. The whole group of nurses, doctors, and interns practically ran towards the lobby and looked around with their head craned. Finally, one sharp eyed intern spotted it.

"We've been had." He groaned, pointing towards the ceiling.

They all looked up and sighed. There, in big black letters written on sheets of computer paper, were written the words 'MADE YOU LOOK!'

xXx

House walked into the hospital at around 10 and was greeted with groans accompanied with wads of computer paper and paper towels, along with dry-erase markers and erasers being thrown at him.

Even as Cuddy stalked towards him with the look of death in her eye, he couldn't control his laughter that seemed to echo throughout the entire hospital.

His plan had worked. Everyone had forgotten about work for a couple of hours to walk around the hospital and read a pointless list. He had successfully succeeded in getting the entire hospital to take a short break from the monotonous routine of life and have some fun.

Some days it was great to be him, even when the double clinic hours he knew was to come awaited him. He'd do them willingly simply because it was worth it to see their reactions.

Well, he'd do clinic _after_ he found Allison and gave her a congratulatory kiss for a job well done.

xXx

"I have a problem with my scalp."

House was greeted by a 20 year old female who stood beside the examination table, her arms crossed over her chest and an annoyed expression on her face.

"Fascinating." He said as he closed the door. "It's dandruff. Go home and use Head and Shoulders."

"It's not dandruff, it's not dermatitis, and it's not psoriasis." She gave him a look that said she thought he was an idiot.

House gave a half-smirk. "Right." He snapped on a pair of gloves and cracked his knuckles in anticipation.

"I have a scalp problem. My mom said it was dermatitis and dandruff shampoos didn't help. A dermatologist told me that it was psoriasis. It isn't. If it were, then all the expensive crap he had me buy would have worked by now."

"You just looooove to annoy doctors, don't you." House said in a condescending tone before becoming stern. "It's psoriasis. Or dandruff. Go home and soak your head in avocado puree, car oil, or the toilet. Doesn't really matter to me."

"I wouldn't be here if I didn't need to be." Her tone was matter-of-fact.

House gave a half-laugh. "You _don't_ need to be here! You, along with every other clinic patient, are idiots who love to waste my time by annoying me." He snapped his fingers. "That's why you're here! You _do_ believe your doctor, you just needed someone to annoy because you boyfriend dumped you for someone less needy!"

"First off, I don't make it a habit to visit walk-in clinics just to annoy doctors. If I wanted to annoy a doctor, I would have gone to my normal doctor. Second off, I don't have a boyfriend. Or a girlfriend. Or any type of 'romantical' relationship."

"Then you think you're dying and you're embarrassed."

"Oh yes, that is totally it. I'm stupid enough to be paranoid enough to come here because I think that I'm _dying_. Yes sir, you have me aaaall figured out." She said sarcastically. "I don't think I'm dying and I don't think I have cancer."

"Then why are you here?"

"Because I have a scalp problem?" It was said as more of an annoyed, aggravated question.

"You know, this sounds familiar…." House mused.

"It's familiar because I've said it about three times already!" She yelled.

"And now she's pissed!" House announced gleefully. "Alrighty then! What can I do for you!"

She didn't answer verbally. She opted for glaring at him, her hazel eyes seeming to throw fire at him.

He shivered mockingly. "Whew! Those eyes are enough to burn a log cabin to cinders in seconds!" He glared back. "Answer me, or you get a thermometer up your ass."

"May have worked with Detective Tritter. Won't work for me."

"How do you know about Tritter?"

"He's my uncle."

There was a long pause.

"Ahh." He took a scraping of her scalp and bagged it. "We'll have your results within 24 hours."

"Thank-you."

"Yeah." His smile was more of a wince as he left her in the room. The moment the door was closed, he flipped off the door.

"And the great Dr. House once again displays his maturity by making obscene gestures at inanimate objects." Wilson's loud voice made House groan internally.

"Allison, save me!" House called out as he limped as fast as he could away from Wilson.

"She can't save you now!" Wilson cackled behind him evilly.

House whirled around, his eyes dark with anger.

"Whoa, whoa!" Wilson held his hands up in surrender. "I'm kidding! She said she was going to go home early!"

"She'd better have, for your sake." House glared at his best friend. "If Cuddy needs me, I'll be in my…" He paused, as if remembering something important that he had almost forgotten about. "On second thought…if she needs me, I'll be home ignoring the phone." He marched off in the direction of his office to gather his belongings leaving behind a slightly frightened Wilson who wasn't quite sure if he liked this new possessive/protective side of House.

xXx

House opened the door to the apartment he shared with Allison to find it mostly dark save for the glow of the TV and the sound of what seemed like an epic Star Wars battle echoing through the room. When he realized that she didn't hear him, he grinned and stealthily walked over to the couch where she was sitting cross-legged, leaning slightly towards the TV, watching it intently. House was curious as to what movie she was watching. It didn't look like Star Wars, nor did it look like Star Trek. He waited to hear someone speak before letting his presence be known.

A loud clatter followed by an annoying beeping interrupted the music. "What was that?" The man standing looked startled.

"Did you see that?" The pilot craned his neck to see out the front window while still trying to steer.

"Was that the primary buffer panel?"

"It did seem to resemble…"

The brunette man interrupted the pilot with an unamused laugh. "Did the primary buffer panel just fall of my gorram ship for no apparent reason?"

A loud bang followed by violent shaking startled the pair. "Looks like." The blond man agreed with an uneasy glance up at the window to see if he could find the source of the bang.

"I thought Kaylee just checked the entry couplings?" His tone was disbelieving. "I have a very clear memory of it."

"Well if she doesn't get some extra flow from the engine room to over-set the burn-through…this landing is going to get pretty interesting." The blondish, reddish haired man was gripping what House assumed to be a steering wheel of some sort and had sort of a grimace on his face.

"Define 'interesting'." The brunette man pushed some buttons on a screen and scanned the readings.

The pilot put on a 'sarcastic' face and said in a deadpan voice. "Oh God, oh God, we're all going to die?"

House was startled to hear Allison laugh lightly and barely refrained from saying something, choosing instead to listen some more.

The brunette groaned in annoyance and moved to the co-pilots side to pull down the intercom. "This is the Captain. We are having some slight problems with our entry sequence so we may experience some slight turbulence…and then explode."

"What the hell are you watching?" House took the moment to interrupt.

"Serenity." She answered, taking the same moment to pause the movie.

He frowned as he rolled the name through his mind. "Never heard of it."

She gaped at him, aghast. "Firefly?"

He shook his head in the negative, wondering where this was headed.

"I'm going to have to school you in Firefly and Serenity." She sounded both shocked and determined. "I can't believe you've never heard of them!"

"Over my dead body."

"I watch General Hospital with you!"

"You don't have to."

"But I do anyway."

"That's your problem, darlin', not mine." His exaggerated drawl made her roll her eyes.

"Fine." She glared at him and turned back to the TV. "But I'm going to watch this whether you want to or not. So deal."

The movie started again and House found himself drawn to the events playing out. He settled himself next to her on the couch and ignored her self-satisfied smirk.

"So what is this crap about?" House said suddenly, right in the middle of River's panic attack during the robbery.

Cameron paused it again. "It's a science fiction western." She explained. "First one of its kind ever made, I believe."

House made a face. "Ick. Either are horrible, but to put them together…?" He made a barfing motion.

"Just shut up and watch it." She glared at him and pressed play. He slumped in his seat and grumbled internally, but for her sake he remained quiet. It never dawned on him that a few months ago he'd have never done this for _anyone_.

Of course, he had to admit that the Reavers _were_ pretty cool looking. And Jayne had some awesome guns. And nothing was wrong with a crazy, sexy-looking young girl that could kick a whole roomful of previously mentioned nasty creatures' asses. It wasn't a half-bad movie. Not that he'd ever admit it to Allison…

A knock at the door interrupted his musings as well as the movie. "I'll get it." House announced, standing before she could. He ignored her suspicious look and limped over to the door, praying that it wasn't Wilson on the other side. Another knock sounded and House grumbled to himself. "I'm coming, I'm coming."

He opened the door and grinned at the person on the other side. "About time you got here.

"About time you answered the door." Kaeyla smirked at him and pushed past him to greet her daughter. "Allison, I'm going to have words with you about not inviting me before Greg did!"

"Mom?" The movie forgotten, Allison stood up and let her mom envelope her in a huge hug that only mothers can give. "How….what…why are you here?"

"Your Greg called me the other night and told me to come. He also told me to keep it a secret."

The look Allison shot Greg was nothing short of venomous yet she managed to grin at her mother. "Secrets are something he's good at."

"What are you watching?" Kaeyla moved towards the TV and started to laugh. "Oh my word, Serenity _again_? I swear you and your brother have that memorized."

"We do." Allison said dryly. The two women shared a laugh and Greg stood by, feeling a bit left out of the seemingly private joke between them. He determined then and there that he was going to watch every bit of Firefly and Serenity so he wouldn't be left out, never thinking about how ridiculous it would sound if he were to voice it out loud.

"So, this is your new home." Kaeyla mused, moving around the apartment, examining each and every piece of the living room. "I figured you would have a piano, Greg. And it's nice to see that you made room for her treadmill. I don't think she'd survive without it."

"Thanks, Mom." Allison said dryly, her mind whirling at the sudden arrival of her mom.

The living room was almost the same as it had always been except that the piano had shifted to the side enough to make room for the bulky treadmill. House shrugged nonchalantly. "I didn't want her to whine about it later."

Something was bothering Allison though, and it was just as well that she wasn't really paying attention to Greg's comment. "Mom, you flew all the way down here just to look at the apartment?"

"Yup."

"You're insane. Either that, or you're lying."

"So I've been told, dear. And I don't lie. I just omit the truth."

"Hey, she sounds like me!" House said gleefully. "See, Allie dear. Everybody omits the truth."

"I thought it was everybody lies." Allison said laughingly.

"Yeah, they do that too." He admitted.

Kaeyla and Allison shared a laugh at the sheepish look on House's face and he in turn glared at them and mock stomped off to the bedroom. "I'm going to bed if you're just going to laugh at me."

This just made them laugh harder and soon House joined them in the laughter and the three of them settled down on the couch for a comfortable talk.

xXx

AN: And that is where I am going to leave you all. There will be more of Kaeyla in the next chapter, I promise. evil smirk Ciao!


	25. The Love of a Mother

Story Title: Touch of Destiny

Chapter 25: The Love of a Mother

Chapter summery: Cameron's Mom ensures that the couple has many opportunities to make memories.

xXx

Disclaimer: Not mine, unless you don't recognize a character. Then it is mine, and you shouldn't take it. Such as….Dotty Myers, Kate Johnston, and Mark Fredrick are all mine.

AN: Hmmm. Nothing really to say, except for…I love all my readers!

xXx

obsessedwithstabler: LOL! You crack me up. You are so weird, m'dear. But then again, I am too. Maybe it's a growing trend among writers….

kdip4014: Actually….I have no idea where most of them come from. I found the list on a website. Haha! But yeah, I recognized many of them as well. Keep reading!

MLN: Firefly is the greatest western ever, simply because it's a sci-fi as well. Yes, Kate is annoying. But, she will grow. She won't quit. She's too stubborn. As for Allison's mom…you'll see in this chapter. (grin)

SilvaK: Oh, I'll keep it comin'. I'm havin' more fun doin' this than work! Haha!

NM 42: I found the list online somewhere, if you didn't read the AN at the beginning of Chapter 24. And I'm glad I'm keeping you interested!

Stollhofen125: I'm glad it met your approval! I love that scene. Haha!

SeriouslyJess: Darn. Flaming biology books would be hi-larious. You'd have to have sent me a picture of it. Too bad. I'm glad you loved the chapter!

ColorOfAngels:D I'm glad you found it funny!

AllisonCammie: This updated soon enough? hides from fist I'm sorry, I'm sorry!!

Sweetgreuy: I'm glad you loved it!

whoKMH: House is growing And I love writing about it. :D Glad you liked the connections! I love connecting the different pieces of the plot.

xXx

"How long is my mom going to be here?" Allison questioned House as they were getting ready for bed after Kaeyla had retired to the guest room. They had ended up talking for about three hours before they realized what time it was.

House shrugged. "No clue. Probably only a couple of days." He pulled on an old white shirt and his blue striped pajama pants, the pant legs pooling a little at his ankles. His eyes took in the simply clad Allison who seemed oblivious to his appraisal.

She rolled her eyes sarcastically at his vague answer. "Wonderful. It was nice of you to tell me that she was coming." Her red and black plaid pants hung loosely at her hips and there was about three inches of skin visible between the top of her pants and the black spaghetti strap tank-top she had donned. She was currently en-route to the bathroom to brush her teeth and House decided to follow her.

"I thought you'd be happy that she was here."

"I am. It just would have been nice to have some time to clean before she came." She pulled out her tooth brush and carefully striped some of the minty toothpaste onto the bristles.

"So what's the issue here?" He sounded confused and she eyed him sideways, taking in his slightly tense form leaning against the door frame.

"It's just that you didn't tell me. I'd like to think that you'd actually run ideas by me once in a while." Her tone, however warbled it might be from the toothbrush, still came across as sad and almost accusing.

"It was supposed to be a surprise, Allie." He ran his hand through his short hair in frustration. "I really just wanted to surprise you. I promise, I'll run things by you when I'm not trying to give you a surprise." His voice dropped, almost as if he were embarrassed to say the next part loudly. "I take my relationship with you seriously."

She rinsed out her mouth and gave him an appraising look before smiling and kissing his cheek. "Thank you, Greg. I'm glad my mom is here." She moved out of the bathroom to give him his space and missed his slight smile at her simple show of thanks. Shortly after she left, he was stalking after her, determined to prove to her how much she meant to him without using words.

Unbeknownst to either of them, a certain Kaeyla Cameron had been eavesdropping shamelessly on their conversation and had caught his smile in her daughter's direction. She was beaming at hearing their slight argument and at seeing his smile and almost predatory stalk towards the bedroom.

_He really does love my daughter. He wants what's best for her. I swear, if he doesn't ask her to marry him soon, _I'll_ do it for him and he can deal with it later!_

xXx

"Good morning, Mom." Allison yawned as she trudged into the kitchen and saw Kaeyla humming as she prepared some coffee and toast for herself.

"Good morning, sweetheart. Would you like me to put in another slice of bread for you?"

"Please. And some of your coffee in a huge mug, if you can manage to share some of that as well." She shot her mother a wry yet sleepy grin when the mug that was currently filled slid across the counter towards her. Taking it in hand, she sat down on a tall stool next to the counter. "Thanks, Mom." She inhaled the bittersweet aroma and took a sip, smiling as the warm, dark liquid slid down her throat.

Pouring herself another cup of coffee, Kaeyla joined her daughter at the counter, her hands wrapped around the mug as if to warm them. "I'm glad Greg called me." She said softly. "It's nice to have your daughter's boyfriend feeling comfortable enough with the parents to invite them to his home."

"Parents?" Allison questioned. "Did he invite Dad as well?"

"Of course he did. Dad just refused to come. Said something about how he couldn't leave work and how I can take care of myself. He said to tell you that he loves you, but can't bring himself to become 'best buddies with the man who could potentially steal my daughter away'." She used her fingers to quote her husband.

Allison rolled her eyes in playful annoyance. "Dad needs to loosen up. He eventually got used to the idea last time."

"Last time you got married, you mean?" Her mom asked slyly.

She barely refrained from rolling her eyes again. "Yeah, Mom. And no, he hasn't asked me."

"Well you two _were_ loud enough last night. I figured something good had happened."

Allison's head dropped onto her hands and she groaned. Kaeyla started to laugh out right at her daughter's discomfort.

That was the scene House stumbled sleepily onto as he made his way to the kitchen.

"Good morning, Greg!" Kaeyla chirped cheerfully, hints of laughter still coloring her voice.

"Ugggn." He grunted back, dumping the rest of the pot of coffee into his mug and taking a swig, wincing at the temperature.

Both women dissolved into a mass of giggles at the expression on his face at the still too hot liquid.

House shot them an 'I'm not amused' glare and stomped/limped back to the bathroom to empty his bladder. "Women." He muttered and rolled his eyes as he heard another bout of giggles escape from the two women in his kitchen.

Kaeyla watched as Greg disappeared into the bathroom only to emerge almost as soon as he had closed the door and stalk back to where they were sitting. She grinned when he bent down and gave Allison a quick kiss. Mumbling a 'good morning' he turned on his heel and disappeared once again into the bathroom.

"That was unexpected." She commented, ignoring the stunned yet pleased expression on her daughter's face.

A huge grin bloomed on Allison's face. "Mmmhm." She took another drink of her now slightly cooled off coffee.

"He loves you, Allie."

"I know, Mom." A tender smile replaced the grin and she gave a happy sigh. "And I love him."

xXx

"I want to see where you work." Kaeyla had announced as soon as House emerged from the bathroom again, this time showered and slightly coherent.

So, much to the chagrin of Allison, her mother was now currently standing inside her office in the immunology department casting a critical eye over everything inside. "Allie, you need some pictures in here, or something."

"It's not like I have a whole plethora of pictures to choose from and put up in my office, Mom."

"You have some of your wedding and..." Her mom paused before giving her a sheepish look. "None of you and Greg, though."

Allison sighed. "Right. None of the two of us." She found the file she was looking for and closed the drawer. "I need to take this to Cuddy, do you want to come with me?"

"Absolutely." Kaeyla said automatically, though her mind was on something else. Pictures for her daughter's office and for Greg's. If she knew Greg as well as she thought she did, he didn't have any of Allison either.

As they walked down to Cuddy's office, Allison's pager went off. Glancing at the message, she frowned and flipped out her phone. Dialing a number, she waited for a moment until the person on the other end answered.

"Did you page me?"

_Yes. Are you going to bring Mother Dearest over to see _my_ office now?_

"Yes, of course. Just as soon as I drop something off at Cuddy's office."

_Great._

He hung up the phone and Allison was left staring at a now silent phone. "Okay then."

"Greg?" Kaeyla questioned.

"Greg." Allison sighed and glanced up to see that they were down on ground level and in front of Cuddy's office door. "Looks like Cuddy isn't in her office." The doors were closed and the lights were off. "I'll just slide it under the door." Writing a note on the folder and sliding it under the door, she and her mom were soon on their merry way to the diagnostics department.

She found it strange that the department was empty. "Johnston, Fredrick, and Foreman must be working on a case." She mused, taking a glance around. "Greg?"

"In here!" His voice was muffled and he was moving around in his office as if he was looking for something.

"What are you doing?" Allison asked him as she walked into the office. Her mom settled herself into Greg's green chair and set her purse down on the armrest.

"Nothing!" He shot from his place on the floor and winced as he smacked his head on the side of his desk. "I'm doing nothing."

Kaeyla laughed. "Because we believe that. So, this is your office, Greg?"

"No, it's actually Cuddy's. I switched with her for the day."

"Greg…" His girlfriend said tiredly.

"Allie…" He mocked with a smirk.

"You don't have any pictures either!" Kaeyla was now determined to rectify the situation. "C'mon, we're leaving now. We'll call your boss and tell her that you have something else to do on the way there."

"On the way to where? Mom, where are we going?"

"To the park."

"Why?" It was Greg this time, his eyes narrowing in suspicion.

"To take pictures!"

"Pictures?!" They asked in unison, eyes wide and stunned.

Kaeyla shooed them out of the door, snatching up her purse from the seat she had dropped it onto as she followed them out. "Pictures. Bur first, home to change out of your work clothes, Allie."

Both Greg and Allison let out a groan as they were ushered towards the parking lot.

xXx

"Why can't I wear what I'm wearing now?" Allison knew she was whining, but quite frankly didn't care at this point. She was staring at a pair of dark blue low-rider jeans and a dark maroon cabled sweater that her mother had laid out on the bed in aggravation. "I happen to like what I'm wearing."

"And I find it too…work appropriate. Not picture material." Kaeyla insisted, giving Allie a push towards the bed. "Change. We'll be waiting in the hall."

"What shoes do I wear?"

"Your boots. The tan fuzzy ones. They're cute." With a grin at her daughter, the mother darted out of the room to join Greg in the living room who was examining the camera that Kaeyla had brought with her.

"Thanks for doing this, Kaeyla." Greg said suddenly.

"You're welcome. I'm glad you called me and asked me to do this." She said honestly.

He gave her a small smile. "I didn't want to make a huge deal out of it, but I wanted to have at least one picture of the two of us. This seemed like the best option."

"And you play the annoyed card very well, I must admit. She doesn't suspect a thing."

He smirked conspiratorially. "I try."

The door to the bedroom opened before Kaeyla could comment and when Allison emerged, Greg just stared at her.

"There, how do I look?"

"Do I really have to answer?" Kaeyla gave a slight nod towards Greg and Allison gave a little giggle. "Alright you two, let's go take pictures."

Since it was October, the fall colors were in full bloom as the three soon discovered as the park loomed closer. Stepping out of the car, Greg took the opportunity to wrap his arm around Allison's shoulders as they strolled towards a spot that Kaeyla had her eye on the moment they pulled in. It was an old bench with trees all around it sat over looking a fountain and a small empty playground. Allison sighed with contentment and slid her arm across the small of his back. Now that they were out here, she was glad that they were doing this. Apparently he thought so as well because he pressed a gentle kiss to the top of her head before sliding his arm off her shoulders to grasp her hand in his. Unbeknownst to either of the, Kaeyla was taking pictures of them from behind and smiling at the picture the two of them made.

"Sit on the bench first." Kaeyla finally said loudly enough for them to hear her.

"Actually, can we do all the standing ones first?" Greg asked hesitantly, motioning to his leg awkwardly.

"Of course. When you get tired, then we'll switch to the bench. We'll start with the tree then."

"I gotta hug a tree?" He asked disgustedly, eyeing the tree as if it were going to jump out and envelope him with its branches.

"No, you get to hug _me_ and lean _against_ the tree." Allison explained with a giggle. "I'm who you're taking the pictures with, remember?"

"No, I forgot that little fact." House said sarcastically as he leaned against the tree, pulling her against his chest. "Your mom's only been talking about it non-stop for the past three hours or so."

"Don't mind me." Kaeyla said with a grin, snapping pictures of them as they conversed.

"Don't worry, we don't." House said loudly, still sounding annoyed, a small smirk gracing his features.

"Don't bother my mother." Allison looked up at him and laughed when he made a face at her.

"Don't tell me what to do." He smiled gently down at her before slowly kissing her softly.

Kaeyla smiled as she snapped some more pictures. They were proving to be a better photographic couple then she had anticipated, at least from his side. Allie she knew was photographic from the years of being her mother. Greg was actually quite the ham on camera as she was starting to find out. She had to nearly run to keep up with them as Greg started chasing Allison towards the fountain, a perfectly evil grin on his face, and Allie laughing and protesting at the same time.

_For a cripple, he sure is fast._

xXx

"That was actually fun, if you can call being blinded by flashing lights for two hours fun." House admitted as they piled back into the car to drive back to the hospital. "Though I never did get to throw you into the fountain. Now _that_ would have been a great picture."

"Do you _want_ to sleep on the couch?" Allison asked playfully. "Because I can still arrange that you know."

"Alright, you two." Kaeyla admonished as she climbed into the backseat. "Do I have to separate you?"

"Yes." House grinned as Allison pushed him lightly.

"No, Mom. He can be a big boy for the ten minutes to the hospital."

"Who says we're going back to the hospital?"

"I do." Kaeyla said firmly. "I never got to finish my tour."

"Because you had to insist on pictures." Allison muttered with a slight grin. 

"And because you want more of a tour, I have to go back to work?" House whined. "Now where does that become fair?"

"Life isn't fair, Greg." Allison leaned back in her seat and sighed softly.

"No shit. I couldn't tell." He shot back sarcastically. "I thought life was supposed to go the way I didn't want."

"That's it. The whole world is against you."

"No, just fate."

"No, that would be Wilson fate is against. Remember? He's the one with multiple divorces on his shoulders."

"Right. Me, I just have an infarction, a nasty ex, and…"

"And a sexy girlfriend who loves you. See, fate isn't against you."

He grinned. "Exactly. Though that wasn't exactly what I was going to say."

"I figured." She grinned back. "You aren't exactly the picture of optimism, Greg."

"Now I'm insulted. I'm very optimistic. I'm optimistic in the fact that people are going to be a let-down."

Both Allison and Kaeyla laughed at that. Greg grinned back, momentarily surprised at the sound of Kaeyla's laughter. He had almost forgotten that she was in the car. It just seemed so _natural_ to have her around. And that thought scared him. The girlfriend's mother wasn't supposed to seem more like family than his own, though he did get along well with his mother. It was a pity Allie's dad couldn't make it this time. He'd love to see how he, House, would get along with her dad when his daughter was around.

xXx

"This is the lab." Allison was feeling tired already and they had just restarted the tour. "This is where we do all the blood work and tests and the like."

"It's also where she comes to bemoan the sad fate of uncelebrated centrifuges." House interjected his two cents which both ladies shared a small laugh at.

"That was once." The young doctor admitted, throwing a small glare at the older doctor.

"And this is still a lab." Kate Johnston marched in with a small vial of blood. "If you will excuse me please, I'd like to test this patient for a disease she insists on having."

"What's the patient's name?" Allison asked.

"No, wait, let me guess!" House said in mock glee. "Dotty Myers!"

Kate gaped at him. "How'd you know?"

"I'm psychic." He said with an eyebrow raise.

"You are not." Allison groaned. "Dotty haunts our department. We've all had her at least twice in the clinic. But we discharged her for an actual condition not long ago. Now it seems she's back to the clinic. What does she say she has this time?"

Kate smirked. "And I quote…'Damp lung. Also known as Tuberculosis. People can die from this! Now fix me doctor.' It took all I had in me not to laugh then and there."

House let out a loud bellow of laughter that startled the room's occupants.

Allison was trying to hold back a giggle as well. "Has she been watching TV recently? Because, seriously, the only place I've heard the term 'damp lung' was on…a TV show."

"You know, I asked her that." Kate joined in the laughter with a small laugh of her own, her usually sour features lightened up by the humor. "All she would say to that was that I must be an idiot and she wanted to know where Dr. Chase was because he clearly wasn't an idiot."

"What did you tell her?" Allison asked, the room instantly sobered up at the name of Chase.

"That he no longer worked for our hospital due to complications in his bedside manner."

The other's nodded. "Couldn't have worded it more tactful myself." The older immunologist agreed.

"I could have." House snorted impatiently. "'Dotty, Dr. Chase is a moron who was obsessed with my girlfriend. He attempted to kill her. You might have been next!'"

Allison smacked his arm. "Greg! That's a horrid thing to say! And it's not tactful at all."

"Who said I was tactful?"

"No one did, because we all know it's not true! You have the tact of a grizzly bear protecting her cub."

Kaeyla was snorting she was giggling so hard and Kate appeared to be failing at keeping her normally stoic countenance about her as she ran the blood through the machines.

"Alright, fine. If you're going to be abusive and compare me to a female bear, I'm just going to leave."

"Okay. _I'll _finish up my mom's tour and we'll just gossip about you."

"Oh hell no!" He protested, following them out the door. "I'm going to be around for that!" His limp was almost non-existent as he sauntered briskly after them. "I want to make sure you're not spreading horrible rumors about me!"

"As if you need someone to start rumors." Allison retorted. "It's not like you don't have any rumors flying around."

"There are rumors about me?" House acted surprised, though both women saw through it.

"Don't act surprised, Greg." His girlfriend rolled her eyes. "You _started_ the one about you and Wilson being a couple." At his incredulous look she snorted. "Yes, I heard that one and no, I didn't believe it and yes, I know you started it."

"Fine." He grumped. "I admit it. I also started the one about Foreman and Cuddy."

"That was you?" She grinned broadly, remembering the hijinks that had ensued due to that particular rumor. "That one was hilarious. I thought Cuddy was going to blow a fuse."

"She did. Foreman, however, did the manly thing and promptly passed out."

The three laughed again and House jabbed at the elevator button with his cane impatiently. "It's time for you to see the dreaded clinic. Maybe I can shock Cuddy into stroking when I'm down there without her threatening me."

"Greg!" There was no mistaking the horror in either tone as mother and daughter protested in unison.

House just snickered as he walked into the elevator. It was becoming increasingly good to be him.

xXx

"It was nice of your boss to let you off early." Kaeyla commented as they walked into the apartment.

"Nice?" House sputtered. "I have three extra hours of clinic tomorrow because of it!"

"Poor you." Kaeyla snickered. "As if you won't pawn them off on one of your underlings."

"Good point."

"I'm glad I'm not one of your underlings any longer." Allison muttered with a grin. "I hate clinic."

"Me too!" House burst out loudly. "And she insists on giving me _more_ to teach me lessons!"

Kaeyla started to laugh lightly. "I'm going to miss you two. It's really too bad that I'm leaving tomorrow and not the weekend. At least you'd be able to drive me to the airport to say goodbye instead of me taking a cab."

"Mom, I told you already on the way home. I'll take you to the airport tomorrow so you won't have to call a cab."

"I'm fine with a cab. You two have to go to work, and I'll see you when you two come up to visit us at New Years." Kaeyla insisted calmly.

"Hell, anything to get me out of work. We can take you, Kaeyla." House this time was the one being insistent. He winced and rubbed his leg briefly before he popped a vicodin and dry swallowed it.

"Greg, I refuse to have you miss work because of me."

"Mom, he misses work for the fun of it. At least _this_ time he can give Cuddy a reasonable excuse."

"See, she agrees with me!"

"The answer is still no."

"Awwwww….Kaeyla!"

"Greg, stop whining. Mom, we're taking you. No more arguments."

"Allie…"

"Is it a crime to want to spend a few more minutes with my mother?"

A beat. Then a loving sigh. "No, I guess it isn't. You win."

"I always win." House said snootily, his nose in the air as he pranced towards the kitchen. "I'm going to have some water to celebrate."

There was a moment of solid silence before the living room erupted into loud laughter at the sight of House sauntering around like he was some rich hussy who though she was better than the rest of the world.

"Are you hungry, Mom?" Allison said through the laughter, tears pooling in the corner of her eyes from laughing so hard.

"I'm getting there." She admitted. "Why, are you planning on cooking?"

"I was going to. Why, do you want to go out to eat?"

"That would be nice. Then I could treat you two."

"No, Mom, you're our guest."

"And I'm your mother. I can treat you if I want."

"Allie, just let her treat us. I'll even behave in the restaurant." House poked his head out of the kitchen. "I'm famished. Let's go."

Allison's eyes went heavenward in mock annoyance. "The whole world is against me. Fine, let's go. Greg, you're driving."

"Why me?" He whined as they walked out the door. "It's your mom!"

"And you're the one too lazy to ever cook."

"Hmph." He pouted at her. "But I might break your car…"

"You won't."

"And how do you know that?"

"I know that you don't want to sleep on the couch for the next week."

"Oh, you're too nice to make me sleep on the couch. It makes my leg hurt."

"All the more reason for you to behave, isn't it?"

He gaped at her, his hand frozen just as he was unlocking the door. "You really would make me sleep on the couch. You little manipulator you."

She smiled saucily at him over the top of the car. "I learned from the best."

Kaeyla just grinned at the exchange and settled herself into the back seat of the car.

xXx

"Greg, that waiter didn't do a thing to deserve that type of treatment! And after you promised to behave, too!"

House was laughing as they left the restaurant and both of the women with him were less amused than he was. "What?" He asked at their glares of disapproval. "Oh the waiter?" His tone turned incredulous. "He didn't _do_ anything? Hello! He was hitting on you!"

"I have guys hitting on me everyday! Hell, I have _girls_ hitting on me everyday! I think I can handle that type of behavior."

House pouted. "But I don't like it. I don't like to see a guy who is your age, and who you _should_ be with, hitting on you."

"That's the crux of the matter, isn't it?" Allison questioned. "Him being 'my age' as you put it. He wasn't what I have ever wanted. He was too…" She paused, the word she wanting evading her.

"Pretty?"

"That and preppy." She shuddered. "Too much like Chase."

"Aaaaand we're veering to a different subject. How 'bout them Yankees?"

"The Yanks aren't in the world series. However, the Rockies are, and are currently getting smashed by the Sox."

"Who?" Kaeyla interjected, a mite confused.

"Denver's baseball team." Greg was eyeing Allison with a confused eye. "I thought you hated sports."

"I hate sports_ metaphors_. There's a difference."

"The things you learn about people…" House muttered, looping his arm around Allison's shoulders.

"There's a lot you don't know about my daughter, Gregory House."

"Oh? Like what?"

"You'll find out later." The daughter in question butted in quickly. "Right now, I'd like to go home and go to bed.

"Any chance of me getting lucky tonight?" House asked hopefully.

Kaeyla laughed as Allison let her head drop onto the side of the car and let out a groan. House just smirked and unlocked the doors.

xXx

The next morning found them all still tired from the night before and not ready to leave for the airport. Allison, however, being the person she is, got up before the other two occupants of the house and quickly took a shower so she could make some breakfast.

She had donned a pair of dark grey sweatpants and a white wife-beater tank top and was brushing her teeth when she realized someone else was up.

_Knock, knock._

"Allie, are you finished?"

"Not yet, mom, but you can come in."

The door opened to reveal Allison spitting into the sink and a toothbrush hanging loosely in her right hand.

"You came just to take pictures of us, didn't you?" Allison asked, pointing the toothbrush at her mom before putting it back into her mouth. It was more of a statement than a question and at her mom's sheepish look, she started to laugh.

Kaeyla looked stubborn. "No, I wanted to see you, too. The pictures were an added bonus. Greg asked me to come…"

"And to take pictures of us?" Allison turned skeptical. "That doesn't seem like something he would do."

"Honest to God, Allie. He wanted me to come and take pictures."

"He actually wanted pictures…" She sounded amazed and stunned.

"He may not have asked you to marry him yet, dear, but he will. It's just a matter of time."

"And if he never does ask me, I'll be okay with that."

"Will you really?"

She smiled softly. "He loves me. I know he loves me. I don't need a ring to prove it."

"But you do want to marry him."

Allison thought for a moment before shrugging. "I'm happy where we are."

"Are you?" Her mother shot her a knowing look before exiting the bathroom, leaving her daughter standing with her toothbrush still in her mouth, a thoughtful expression gracing her features.

_Am I?_

The thought bounced around in her head as it was being processed. She knew that Greg loved her, and he even told her once in a while. Was she really satisfied with where they were right now?

_I am._

With a grin of contentment, she rinsed out her mouth, dried off her hands, and joined her boyfriend and mother in eating breakfast before leaving for the airport.

xXx

Three days later, House sat on the couch flipping through the pictures Kaeyla had sent to them today.

_She must have gotten the pictures developed and sent on the same day she got home. She only left three days ago!_

She had sent them doubles of those she thought they both needed in each office and had sent along with the pictures a large framed one they could put up on his piano. It was a side profile of her on the swing and Greg was holding onto the chains facing her and pushing her back a little, his arms locked and fully extended. He had bent close to her face to look her in the eye. He had a grin on his face and she was laughing at a private joke he had made just before Kaeyla snapped the picture. The smaller version was in duplicate so they could put it in their offices.

The picture made him smile and he was glad that she had had it framed before sending the pictures. Hoisting himself off of the couch, he carried the picture over to the piano and carefully set it on the closed lid. He'd have to find a better place for it eventually, but for now the placement worked.

He sighed and glanced at the clock. 6:30.

_She must have had a longer day than she had originally anticipated._

He refused to let his mind wander to the thought that she was cheating on him.

Just as his thoughts were starting to rebel and drift to the cheating idea, the door opened and his girlfriend walked into the apartment. "Oh. My. God." She leaned against the door and closed her eyes. "Today has been the day from hell."

"I guessed that when you weren't home shortly after me. What happened?"

"First, I found out that one of my patients _lied_ about her condition in order to get out of her finals. There was absolutely nothing wrong with her except for the fact that she is mental for giving herself the symptoms. I caught it before we did anything other than the blood work, luckily, but if I hadn't spent three years working for you…" Her voice trailed off.

"Good for you." He said, pride coloring his voice. "What else happened?"

"Another of my patients decided to go all whacko on us, freaking out and the like, simply because we wanted blood to do a test. The interns were ready to send him up to the psych ward because they hadn't seen something like that before. I put it on the list of symptoms and decided to do a differential to figure it out. My interns are officially idiots, by the way."

"What, no referral to me and mine?" He teased, sitting back down on the couch and watching her carefully.

"That's where Cuddy comes in. When she comes in tomorrow with a new patient and he's from my department, tell her that I can handle diagnosing my patient and if I need help I'll talk to you and yours."

"Consider it done. Besides, I already have a patient."

"No you don't, you sent her home today."

"How do you know?"

She shot him a look. "I'm friends with Foreman and I'm dating you, remember?"

"So that's what you were doing before you came home." He said, the light dawning on why she was late. "You were chillaxing with the Black Man." He added with his gansta voice, a small smirk on his face.

"I was talking to Foreman in my office about my day, with him laughing at me I might add, when I got to talk to a certain blond idiot that I never wanted to speak to again."

"I thought Chase had a restraining order." House said tightly, his knuckles growing white as he clutched his cane in anger.

"Apparently, the restraining order doesn't include phone calls." Her tone was low, angry, and annoyed all at the same time. "Foreman was ready to go through the phone to get at Chase."

House was still processing the information, though the anger was slowly creeping onto his features. "Chase called you? At the hospital?"

She nodded, too emotionally drained to say anything else on the matter. She moved towards the couch and collapsed onto it, dropping her head onto the back and heaving a huge sigh.

House frowned and wrapped an arm around her, pulling her to his side. She curled her feet up under her and let him pull her under the protection of his arm. "Sound's like you had a trying day."

"Uh huh." She mumbled. "I'm exhausted."

Pressing a kiss to her temple, he slowly stood up. "I'll cook tonight."

"Yum, delivery pizza." She said sarcastically. "I'll pass."

"No, seriously. I'll cook tonight."

"You can cook?"

"Of course I can cook." He said insulted. "Just because I don't, doesn't mean I can't."

She smiled tiredly and nodded. "Okay, you win. Even if it's burned, I'll probably still eat it, just because you actually cooked for once."

"Oh good." He joked as he walked out to the kitchen. "I don't have to be careful then."

"And if I puke from the charcoal, you'll be cleaning it up." She warned, slipping off her shoes and padding after him. "I'm going to change."

"Be my guest." His voice drifted from the refrigerator. "Let's see…what do we have in here?"

"Don't use anything that's a biohazard." She called over her shoulder as she walked towards their bedroom. "I'd like to avoid food poisoning tonight."

"Har har." House snorted as he turned on the oven and flipped on the stovetop. "Just for that, I'm going to sneeze and cough on everything."

Her laughter drifted down the hall towards him and he grinned.

_She laughed! Mission accomplished. Now, what's for dinner?_

xXx

AN: Review!!!


	26. Brief Encounters

Story Title: Touch of Destiny

Chapter 26: Brief Encounters

Chapter summery: House meets another member of the Cameron clan and life continues on as normal for the doctors of the PPTH.

xXx

Disclaimer: Not mine, unless you don't recognize a character. Then it is mine, and you shouldn't take it. Such as….Dotty Myers, Kate Johnston, and Mark Fredrick are all mine.

AN: this chapter is the day after the pictures arrived which was three days after Kaeyla left. So…yeah. Enjoy reading.

xXx

sabu53: Thanks! Keep reading! More Cam/House banter to come!

vands88: Thanks m'dear. I'm glad that you are enjoying the fic!

FaNtAsMaS ChiCa: And I loved writing the scene in the park!

Obsessedwithstabler: I try to write seeable scenes. And seeable is a word. My spellchecker didn't freak out when I typed it. (grins)

CameronSister: I know. It's great, isn't it? Probably helps that he went to see her parents sometime earlier in the story, lol.

washedaway56: Yes, he's in the kitchen. And it's okay that this is the first time you've reviewed. I love new reviewers!

Teddikayg: Loving Kaeyla was the point. And thanks for the complements! I'm glad the characters are…in character. Lol

whoKMH: First plot point: You are right in assuming that there wasn't enough evidence. Too bad, huh? We'll see… (evil grin) Second plot point: She is content for the moment. Third plot point: Cameron, House and Father won't be for some time. Continuing on…yeah, it's sad that he's still insecure. But honestly, with the House we see on the show, he'd be a bit insecure for a while after entering a relationship. He's insecure about everything almost. Thanks for your review! I love your reviews!

SilvaK: I'm glad you loved the chapter!

Sweetgreuy: I'm glad that this met your approval! I try to make my writing hilarious.

AllisonCammie: If I were dating Greg House….and lived in the same house as he…I'd _still_ worry about the conditions of the food in the fridge. grins Thanks for reviewing!

jagnic233: I'm glad you liked it! And yes, I understand about school and work. Blech. lol

xXx

"Foreman! Nice to see you!" House bellowed as he walked into the diagnostics department the next morning, a manila folder in his hand.

Foreman glanced up and nodded his greetings to his boss and turned back to his reading.

"Where are my other two little ducklings? They can't have already been to the lush pond that is my department and departed for the smelly swamp that is the clinic?"

"Haven't seen either of them yet." Forman said slowly, flipping a page in his journal. His tone turned conspiratorial. "I know! Maybe they slept together last night."

"Hmm, maybe they did!" House started to get animated before he happened to see the smug look on Foreman's face. "You got me all excited for nothing. Why I ought-a…." He let the end of his threat fade and shook his fist portentously at the black neurologist.

Foreman chuckled. "Sorry, I just couldn't resist. Do we have a case?"

He gave a half wince as he looked up towards the top of the wall. "Not yet, but Cuddy's going to present one in five…four…three…two…"

"House!"

"…one. Yes, mistress Cuddy?" House turned around and gave the dean of medicine an innocent look. "Whatever it was, I didn't do it."

"I have a case for you from…"

"Allison. Take it back to her." He walked into his office, Cuddy on his heels.

"I was going to say immunology. How did you…"

"I live with her, remember?"

"But how did you know that I'd…"

"My girlfriend is very smart. Give the case back to her. If she needs me, she'll come and talk to me and mine."

"Her staff aren't equipped to deal with a diagnostics case, House."

"But _she_ is. And she can handle it, even if her interns are idiots. Give it back to her."

"House, just look at the file."

He snatched the file and gave it a cursory once-over. Glaring at Cuddy over the top of the folder, he slammed it shut and thrust it back at her. "Give her back the damn case! I'm not taking my girlfriend's case when just looking at the symptoms would make it a great case for her and her interns to do on their own. She can teach her own little ducklings how to do a diagnosis when the case isn't a cookie cutter disease."

"House…"

"She can do it, Cuddy! Now, leave my office. When you have a case that isn't a referral from a very competent doctor, then you can come back. I'll be in here."

"Playing game boy, I'm assuming. Clinic, now."

"Filing, actually." He motioned to his desk, which at the current moment was covered with scattered files and papers. "I'm going to do my filing."

Her jaw dropped. "_You_ are doing filing?"

"Is that really so surprising?"

She scoffed. "Well, yeah. You doing filing is like…" Her mind grappled for a proper metaphor. "…hell freezing over."

"I _thought_ it felt a bit drafty." House mused sarcastically. "Brrr. Better turn up the thermostat, the twins look cold." He smirked when she crossed her arms over her chest and stormed out of the department.

xXx

Allison was diligently working on her most recent paperwork when a file was dropped onto her desk. She looked up from her work to see Cuddy standing in front of her desk with an apologetic look. The immunologist removed her reading glasses and tilted her head slightly. "Yes?"

"House refused it. He said something about you having the ability to diagnose this guy with no problem." The dean had a somewhat sheepish look on her face. "I'm sorry for doubting you. You have your patient back."

"Thank-you." She said softly, taking the folder in hand and scanning the contents. "I appreciate the show of faith."

"You're welcome. And I do remember the time that House left you in charge while he went off on a small vacation. You did very well."

Allison smiled and looked up again. "That was a hard case. I still can't believe that I actually solved it without Greg there."

"I can. You are intelligent and you worked with the infamous Gregory House for three years. Some of his detective skills were bound to rub off on you as well."

She smirked. "Oh, they have." She closed the file and tossed it onto the corner of her desk. "I already know what the patient has."

"You do?" Cuddy seemed surprised. "That was fast."

Allison gave a small shrug, though a hint of a smirk graced her features. "I knew what it was the before you took the patient from me. I want my interns to figure this out."

"What does he have?"

With another smirk, Allison showed the dean a sealed envelope. "I wrote my diagnosis on a piece of paper and put it in here." She set it down on top of the file and leaned back in her chair. "I know I'm right and when my interns find out, then I'll let you know."

"Huh." Cuddy smiled at the younger doctor and moved to leave. "I'll leave you to educate your interns then."

"Thank you." There was a slight hint of amusement in her reply and after Cuddy was gone, she stood up and moved towards the Immunology conference room where her four interns- Rick Standish, Sarah Crazy Boy-Donovan, Mark Daniels, and Clint Jurado AKA CJ- were currently lounging around laughing and joking.

All that amusement ended when they saw their boss standing at the door with a file in her hand.

"Hey, boss, we got a new patient?" The most obnoxious one, Rick Standish, called out from his seat at the table, his feet carelessly crossed and planted onto the edge of the table.

"A returned patient." She replied. "Feet of the table, Standish."

"Aww." He groaned, moving his feet slowly off their resting place, unconsciously tossing his blond hair that annoyingly reminded her of Chase.

"We have a returned patient?" Her only female intern, Sarah Crazy Boy-Donovan, asked quietly. The young Native American woman possessed a sweet composure and Allison secretly and fervently wished that she never lost it. She handed the file to the young doctor and resumed talking.

"Yes, Donovan. Dr. Cuddy has returned our mysterious illness patient back to us." She moved to their rarely used white board and stuck the envelope onto the board via magnet. "Differential diagnosis."

"You want me to read off the symptoms then?" Donovan questioned uncertainly, glancing up from the file.

"That would be a start, yes. You can't do a differential without the symptoms." She said, not unkindly.

"Okay." The young female doctor started to read off the symptoms in her quiet voice. "He had a panic attack while we were trying to get his blood…other than that, I'm not sure what you're trying…"

"The original symptoms. The one's he came in with. Read those."

"Um, okay." Some more shuffling of paper before she spoke again. "Presented with a rash, dizziness, a cough, and no coordination."

"How do those relate to anything?" Standish snorted. "This is bogus."

_Let the learning commence._

A half smile quirked up one side of her mouth and she chuckled inwardly. "Differential diagnosis, team."

xXx

A half an hour later, they were still at trying to give their boss a diagnosis that satisfied her.

"Lupus." Standish tossed out carelessly, his feet back on the table.

"It's never lupus." Allison muttered, not bothering to write it down. "You're all thinking like immunologists." She finally told them, frustrated, running her hands through her hair.

"Um, hello boss? We _are_ immunologists." Standish shot back.

Her smile was not a friendly one as she turned to address him. "Feet off, or I'll have them surgically removed. Dr. House will have no qualms about assisting in doing that."

In a more friendly tone, she continued, addressing the whole room instead of just Standish. "You need to start thinking _outside_ the autoimmune box. What could it be that _isn't_ immuneo based?"

"Meaning, what isn't a disease that we as immunologists will normally deal with?"

"Exactly, though you could have worded that sentence better, Standish. Try asking what other fields we could be looking into. Or, better yet, try giving some suggestions of various conditions that match our symptoms."

"How about TB?" Daniels asked, his deep voice breaking through Standish and his protests.

"Doesn't match the symptoms."

"I'm hungry." CJ announced randomly. "Can't we just give him broad spectrum antibiotics?"

"Any basis behind that suggestion other than the fact that you're hungry?"

He shrugged. "You're telling us to get away from autoimmune and to focused more on choosing something bacterial, neurological, or infectious. I'm leaning more towards infectious. If we treat him now with broad spectrum, we can catch it before it attacks the rest of his body."

Allison smiled at him. "Head of the class. Go and start him on broad spec. Return when that fails and we'll continue."

That froze her four interns and they turned back towards her. "If it'll fail, why are we doing this?" CJ asked hesitantly.

"Just because she says it's going to fail doesn't mean it will."

They all turned back towards the door and their eyes widened when they saw Greg House standing in the doorway.

"Allow me to elaborate, if I may." He barreled on without waiting for permission. "She is testing you."

"No, she's testing the patient." Standish said flippantly.

"Dumb ass, he means she's seeing how much we actually know." CJ shot Standish a 'you're an idiot' look. House grinned at the sight of it.

"A plus. You win the brownie points for the first elaboration. Second elaboration is simply this. She might actually be wrong about her diagnosis and the patient will heal with the broad spec."

"But wouldn't that mean that Dr. Cuddy was wrong to return our patient to us?" Donavan asked quietly.

"Not necessarily." Daniels put in his two cents worth. "Obviously, Dr. Cuddy decided that we could handle this."

"Meaning that we're not idiots?" Standish butted in.

"No, you're still an idiot." House answered his rhetorical question gleefully. "Now go and obey your boss before I fire you."

"With all due respect, Dr. House, you can't fire us."

"Au contraire, Standoff." House smirked menacingly. "While I cannot directly fire you, I am very close to the one who can. So fear me."

"Greg, leave the poor man alone." Allison finally cut in with a hidden smile. "You all go now, and let us talk." She motioned to her interns who quickly scuttled out of the room.

House watched them leave before turning back to his girlfriend. "Are you sure that that's safe?"

"They aren't going to kill my patient." She said with assurance. "I know you can't trust anyone, but I do trust my interns. All they're doing is starting him on broad spec."

"But you know that broad spec won't do anything."

The grin she shot him was full of smugness and mischievousness and he found himself grinning back.

xXx

It was about mid-afternoon when the team finally gave up on what ailed the patient. The broad spec had appeared to clear up the symptoms, but some new ones popped up and matched nothing of what they had discussed before.

"I still say it's something environmental." Donavan said.

"If it were, it would have stopped." Daniels disagreed. "It's an infection."

"Would have cleared by now." CJ yawned. "It's Munchausen's." He said distractedly.

Standish threw him a pointed look. "And how do you figure that?"

"Simple." He held out a vial of dautuelon and a syringe. "He's been doping himself."

"And how did he get a hold of that?" Standish snapped.

"Found this one in his bag. However, I might have inconspicuously set out a vial of dautuelon where he could see it. The side effects of that particular medication match the new symptoms perfectly. Munchausen's."

In frustration, Standish ripped open the envelope and read it to himself, the other three waiting eagerly for what the paper said.

"'The patient has Munchausen's Syndrome.'" He finally read out loud, his tone aghast. "'Discharge him to fifth floor psych ward.'"

All four of the immunology interns stared at the small scrap of paper that they had uncovered from inside the envelope Allison had stuck to the diagnostics board.

"I would have never guessed before all the tests we did." Donavan said quietly. "How did she know so soon?"

"She worked for Dr. House." Daniels shrugged. "The man is a legend."

"And a bastard." CJ grinned.

"That as well." Daniels admitted with a return grin.

"I can't believe she out diagnosed me!" Standish burst out angrily, crushing the paper in his fist.

"Give it up, Standish." CJ rolled his eyes. "Dr. Cameron has been a doctor longer than you have and she worked for House."

"Doesn't matter. It's not fair."

"Life isn't fair." Both Allison and House stood at the door. She fixed Standish with a stern look. "And if you have a problem with being an idiot, you can take it up with Dr. Cuddy. She'll just tell you to get over it and to do your job."

"And you're an idiot, so it shouldn't be a surprise that you didn't get the diagnosis." House chimed unhelpfully from her side.

Standish just huffed and marched out of the door without another word. The other three silently filed out to transfer their patient to psych.

House grinned at Allison who moved to erase the white board. "There seems to be a growing trend with you and patient's who are faking their illnesses."

"Maybe he just wanted to meet me. He kept telling me how cute I was." She rolled her eyes, annoyed. "I'm not five. I passed the cute stage about 20-odd years ago."

"You're still cute." House smirked when she glared at him. "Especially when you're all angry and pissy. It's quite endearing, actually."

"Maybe I'll just be angry all the time, if you find it so endearing."

He wrapped his arms around her waist and whispered into her ear softly. "But I much prefer you all sunshine and puppies, because you bring that small bit of light into my otherwise dark world."

Allison nearly melted when he said that. He wasn't normally this romantic sounding and she decided that she liked this rare side of him. She almost said as much when a thought passed through her mind and she refrained, not wanting to cause him to withdraw from her.

"And now, oh ray of sunlight, I must leave you and enter the dark hell of the clinic before Cuddy turns me into a stone statue of myself. And that would be tragic."

"Yes it would." She grinned and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. "Go, have fun in the clinic. If you need me, page me. But, so help me Greg, if you page me and it's not an emergency, you won't be 'getting any' for a week."

He looked properly frightened and held up his left hand. "Scouts honor that I will only page you if it is absolutely necessary."

"Wrong hand." She sounded amused and pushed him lightly out the door. "Go. I'll see you after work."

"Slave driver." He yelled after her, his cane waving in the air semi-menacingly.

"Damn straight." She yelled back, a grin gracing her gentle face.

House smirked as he stalked into the clinic. If he had known of the horrors that awaited him, he wouldn't have even considered entering.

xXx

"You do not have cancer!" House insisted loudly to a girl who was panicking over a small bump on her chest. "It's a zit. Pop it and 'bam!' No more bump. Next!" He yelled the last part as he walked out of door.

He groaned when he saw another pimply teenage kid make his way towards the doctor. "It's zit. Go away."

"That's not why I'm here, doc." The kid said quietly. "I think I have…"

"Wait!" House held up a hand. "Are you sure you want to do this in the hall? I mean, I have no problem with it, but you might care."

"Oh. Right."

House rolled his eyes and ushered the kid into exam room one. Once they were both seated, House continued. "Now, what seems to be the problem?"

"I think I might have breast cancer. I know its rare in guys, but…"

House closed his eyes and prayed for five o'clock to hurry up and get here _now_.

4 cancer freak outs, three not-meningitis kids, 5 'skipping school' teens, 1 girl who actually had something wrong with her, and 3 vicodin later, House found himself joyously clocking out at 5:15.

"Where is the hallelujah chorus?" House grumbled as he clocked out. "Dr. House signing out at 5:30."

"It's 5:15, Dr. House." Brenda said without looking up from her paper. "I'm smarter than you think I am."

"That you are, m'dear. That you are." He snatched a handful of suckers from the jar and sauntered down the hall.

"I saw that!" Brenda's voice followed him into the elevator and he smirked, unwrapping a sucker and popping it into his mouth. He was soon in-route towards a certain immunologist's administrative center.

"Where oh where has my All-i-son gone, oh where oh where can she beeeeeee!" House was singing in a horridly off-key voice as he sauntered into Allison's office. The hour he had spent in the clinic was an hour he wanted to forget. "Oh, there she…isn't. Who are you?" He asked to the stranger twirling in the middle of the floor in the swivel chair that normally resided behind the desk.

The man being questioned halted his twirling and faced the door, an impish grin lighting up his boyish features. "You must be Gregory House."

House stared at the man with an expression that resembled a squirrel that was frozen in shock. It took a moment no sound leaving his gaping mouth before he was able to speak. "You look like my girlfriend, only with a goatee. Unless you _are_ my girlfriend, and you just haven't been telling me some _very_ important details about yourself."

The man laughed and held out his hand. "I'm Allyn, her twin brother."

"Ah ha. Allie, Allyn. Cute." House said dryly, shaking the offered hand firmly.

"My mom thought so." A new voice entered the conversation. House turned to see Allison standing behind him. "Allyn, it's about time you got your ass down here!"

"Hey Bear." The strange man stood up just in time to find himself with an armful of Allison who proceeded to hug the stuffing out of her twin brother.

"You said you were going to be here sooner." She said accusingly.

He smiled apologetically and plopped back into the seat, giving it another twirl. "Work and all. Couldn't get away and sadly enough, can't stay long. I have to leave in like an hour."

"Bull shit." She shot back, pinching his side lightly. "You can get away whenever and stay as long as you wish."

"Okay, fine. I have to go see Mom and Dad before I leave for Alaska."

"I can accept that even though I hate you for all those trips you get to take." She grinned. "Now, get your ass out of my chair." She promptly sat in the now vacated chair and Allyn settled himself on the edge of her desk, his legs swinging carelessly.

"Why wasn't I informed of this visit?" House asked, slightly confused at the seemingly sudden appearance of Allison's brother.

"I didn't tell you?" Allison's eyes grew wide and she started to panic. "Oh, god, Greg. I thought I told you! I'm sorry, I didn't realize…"

"Shhh." He hushed her with a finger on her lips. "It's okay. I forgive you. Calm down. It's not the end of the world as we know it."

"You didn't tell him, Al? Sheesh, I feel loved here."

"Shut it, drama queen. You were supposed to come and visit like three months ago!"

"Like, OMG! You just, like, told me to, like, you know….shut up!" He squealed mockingly, his pose one that was all too convincing.

"Allyn! And you wonder why you're still single…" Allison clapped a hand over her eyes and groaned. "I am so sorry you had to witness that, Greg." She muttered.

"No, no it's fine." He was grinning as if he had figured out another piece to the puzzle that was Allison Cameron. "It's nice to know that your twin is about as weird as weird can get. I'm guessing you were the normal one of the family."

Much to his surprise, Allyn burst out laughing, bringing a glare from his sister who in turn addressed House. "Me, normal? The most normal one in my family is Dad. And when he gets to know you…" Her voice trailed off.

"He's the _least_ normal when he knows you well enough and you get past that macho army crap." Allyn finished with a chuckle. "Boy, do you have a lot to learn about my family…and my sister."

"Yeah about that. Care to share stories?"

"Gee, I'd love to, but I just gotta run. Nice to see you Al." He hopped off the desk and moved towards the door.

"Now wait just a minute!" Allison stood and planted her fists on her hips, her eyes shooting daggers at her brother. "You owe me dinner since you can't stay long."

"But Aaaaaaal." He dragged out her name in a whine. "I'm broke! Besides, I'm going to be back for Christmas!"

"Broke my ass. How much is Alaska Airlines paying you again?"

He mumbled out a number and House very nearly gasped in shock. "Is that an hour?"

"Yes."

"You get paid a hundred dollars an hour to do what?"

"Living statue."

House's blank look drew laughs from the twins. "I'll explain later, when Squid has more time, meaning not today." Allison told him, picking up her purse. "I'm going to have dinner with my brother, do you want to come?" Her words made it a suggestion he could refuse, but her eyes were pleading with him to join them and to meet her brother. He felt horrible for what he was about so say.

"Maybe another time, Allie." He even sounded sad and she picked up on that.

"Cuddy gave you lots of paper work, didn't she?" She asked sympathetically.

He nodded sullenly. "Threatened me with a lifetime of clinic duty and being banned from the immunology wing for a week."

"That was low."

"Well, she's learned how to deal with you."

"I'd rather you deal with me." He said lowly, a leering smirk on his face.

"I'd rather deal with you." She said with an answering grin. Kissing him lightly, she turned and skipped out the door. "You're paying, Squid!"

Her brother's groan was followed by running footsteps from the artist and an undignified squeal from the immunologist as she ran from her twin.

House just smirked and moved towards his office at a pace more suited to his cane and leg.

_Siblings._

xXx

Allison loved it when he would play piano for her. It relaxed and soothed her as she was given an opportunity to see deeper into the man she was living with.

"I seem to be meeting a lot of your family recently." He said suddenly, his fingers halting in their movement across the ivory keys.

"No, you already knew my mom. And _you_ invited her. Allyn was supposed to visit ages ago but never found the time."

"Oh really?"

"Yes, really. He was supposed to come after that whole fiasco with Joe but he got tied up with his work in Seattle." She admitted before adding smugly. "Ergo, you've only met one of my family members recently."

He stuck his tongue out at her and resumed his playing.

She smiled softly and resumed reading her book, only halfway paying attention to the words. She was more focused on the notes coming out of the piano. She winced when he played a wrong note and he cursed softly and tried again. When he continued to make simple and random errors in his playing, Allison realized what was going on though she stayed seated.

He moved on to the next song but had barely played a couple of measures before he stopped again, this time hanging his head slightly, as if defeated, his right hand drifting down to his mangled thigh to massage it. The barest hint of a sigh escaped his lips and she took it as a sign to stand and move behind him. Resting her arms lightly on his shoulders, she bent down and kissed his cheek.

"It's worse tonight, isn't it?"

He sighed again and continued his rubbing, a pained expression on his face. "Yeah." He admitted quietly, his left hand forming a fist that he rested on his left knee before he loosened it and grasped her hand tightly.

"C'mon." She tugged on his hand gently. "Have a seat. Why don't you take a vicodin and I'll massage your leg for you."

He sat, but shook his head when she handed him the orange vial. She gave him a confused look and he sighed, wincing when another pain shot up his leg and through his entire right side of the body. "I'm trying to cut back." He muttered finally, not meeting her eyes for fear of seeing…pity, remorse, anything really.

She was careful to keep her tone at a neutral level and sat down next to him, placing her hands on the mangled flesh. "Good for you."

"What? No pep talk about detoxing? No speech on how it's about fucking time?" He asked a bit bitterly.

"No, I'll leave that for Wilson." She quipped lightly, bringing a brief smile to his face.

"You do that. He's better at the self-righteousness anyway. You can just keep doing what you're doing."

"Massaging your leg?"

"Well, that among other things."

"Like…?"

A slightly embarrassed look crossed his face and he looked away. "Loving me." He admitted finally.

A soft smile graced her already beautiful features and she leaned in to kiss his cheek. "That's a given, Greg."

"I love you, Allie." He whispered hoarsely, his eyes closing as her hands worked the pain from the muscle. "What did I do to deserve you?"

"You did nothing." She said firmly, lovingly. "You were _you_."

And with that said, she leaned over again and touched his lips with hers.

He quickly deepened it and one hand found itself drifting up and finally came to a rest on the small of her back. The other hand smoothed the tendrils of hair that tickled his cheek back and tangled his fingers in her soft hair. It wasn't long before the tender and loving kisses became frantic and passionate, hinting at the longings and desires of the other. They each resisted at first, wanting the feeling to last as long as possible, but the heat soon became too much and a quick journey to the bedroom later the only sounds heard were the heavy breathing and occasional moans or groans of pleasure.

xXx

October and November had passed by rapidly in a swirl of overloaded workloads, silly arguments, and plenty of loving. He had used her opinion on many a case which was surprisingly enough helping Kate learn more than House thought she ever would. She was still an idiot in his opinion, but he reluctantly admitted that she was doing well for someone fresh out of med-school. He had also let up some on his tormenting of the young doctor due to his wanting to avoid the clinic. Mark was a good doctor, and he so far had been immune to the 'House bug' that Foreman had seemed to have for a while.

Cameron awoke one morning early December with the realization that House was not in the bed beside her. She frowned slightly until she heard movement in the kitchen. With a sleepy grin, she flopped her head back down onto the pillow and allowed her thoughts to take her back into her mind.

She thought about how all this came to pass. Living with Greg, loving him, having him love her back…it hadn't happened over night, and it might not have happened at all if certain events hadn't happened.

If not for Chase and his obsession with her, she would have never gotten shot. A great thought, not being shot, but if it hadn't happened, then _they_ never would have happened. It was only _after_ she was shot that House started to realize his true feelings for her.

And if not for Chase's continued obsession, Greg probably wouldn't have ever made that first step towards a relationship: admitting the feelings he had towards her.

With every mishap, freak-out, and each bout of insecurity, they had only managed to grow closer in the end.

Through each problem, they had managed to work through it, despite their combined stubbornness, though the same stubbornness had also kept them together.

They as close as any serious dating relationship could take them. There were some people who wondered if they hadn't gone and gotten themselves hitched while no one was looking.

But Allison felt that _something_ was missing.

He wasn't as insecure about them, and that was good.

He was more adept to admit how he felt about her _to_ her.

To anyone, really, and that was even better.

He had yet to meet her family other than her parents. But they were the easy ones to meet. She couldn't wait until he met her brothers. Especially Allyn. That would be a show to sell tickets to.

But that still wasn't what was missing.

And try as she might, she just couldn't put her finger on the problem.

xXx

AN: So, House meets Allyn, if only for a brief moment. Don't worry, more of Allyn to come!

And…here are Allison's interns. Don't worry, you won't see too much of them...unless you want to. I already have enough new characters as it is and I don't want to overload ya'll…or myself.

Rick Standish- Chase look-alike, though he's from the Bronx so he speaks with a Bronx accent.

Sarah Crazy Boy-Donovan- Native American woman from Montana who is gentle in manor and speech. Uses Donovan instead of the whole last name due to the length.

Mark Daniels- Black man from Boston. Deep voice, very level headed and your calm-in-the-storm person that you turn to in a crisis.

Clint Jurado- Brown haired white man from Denver who goes by CJ. Think JD from Scrubs and you got his basic appearance. (Probably didn't get the personality, but I don't watch Scrubs on a regular basis. I tried.)


	27. Deck the Halls and Bruise My Hand

Story Title: Touch of Destiny

Chapter 27: Deck the Halls and Bruise My Hand

Chapter summery: Christmas is coming and love is in the air

xXx

Disclaimer: Not mine, unless you don't recognize a character. Then it is mine, and you shouldn't take it. Such as….Dotty Myers, Kate Johnston, and Mark Fredrick are all mine. So are all the other interns mentioned in Chapter 26. Yes. Mine. No touchy!

AN: Meh. I suppose now is as good of time as any to throw in a Christmas-y chapter or two. If ya'll are lucky, I'll have the other chapter up soon. Mmmmm, Christmas love and snark. What good times these are! And close to Christmas time, too! Don't you just feel loved?

Also, I am changing my name to "the psycho sour skittle"...unless it won't let me...because I don't write LotR any more. I might again someday, but since I have such an eclectic taste in TV shows etc, I changed it. You can still call me psycho if you so desire.

xXx

ShipperCrazed – FanFicCrazy: I'm glad you liked it!!

Sweetgreuy: Yeah, I really don't like them much either. Probably why I'm not going to write them often. Though I do like tormenting Rick….oh the horrid things I could do to him….hmmmm……

Mezzo Princess: LOL! Wow, I totally missed that one! I can't spell, in case you couldn't tell. At least I spelled _celebrated_ right….lol. Thanks!

Obsessedwithstabler: I have a friend whose name is actually spelled A-l-l-y-n. Hence why I picked that spelling. As for my little present…..FRIGGIN' SWEET HUN! I'm so honored. That made my day.

SilvaK: You are just too kind. sniffs back tears happily I'm touched. I'm glad you liked the chapter!

AllisonCammie: I updated:D And yeah, that mental image is hi-larious!

FaNtAsMaS ChiCa: Yeah, I probably resolved her 'problem' a bit too soon…but I just couldn't wait!

whoKMH: Whew, a lot of questions as well as great comments! Well, here goes with the answering of said questions and comments. I gave her the same teaching style because of the whole principle of whatever environment you're in, you pick up from it. Standish is _very_ arrogant and I'll have fun tormenting him whenever I write him. The scene with Allyn wasn't out of place…but we won't see why until next chapter. grins And I love retrospective scenes. Makes me feel all warm and squishy inside. And she'll meet his family eventually. evil grin

Ashley Fisher: I'm glad you like it! And I think they should have a baby too. We shall see, m'dear…we shall see. Thanks for taking the time to review!

xXx

A yawning Allison Cameron absentmindedly clicked on the TV to the early morning weather before moving to the kitchen to start the coffee brewing, the soft _pings_ seemed to echo in the stillness of the kitchen.

"And be sure to dress warmly, folks. The storm moved in faster than we predicted and snow is already falling. Be prepared for at least four to six inches of snow by noon."

A quick glance out the kitchen window confirmed the droning weather man's prediction and Allison held back a groan. She'd have to dig through the closet to find her warmer coat, hat, gloves, and scarf. Even though it had been a few months since she'd moved in with Greg, the need for such necessities hadn't been warranted due to the unusually warm winter they had been having thus far in Princeton.

She poured a mug of the dark brown steaming liquid and added her sugar and creamer before taking a cautious sip. "Mmm." She hummed softly, letting the warmth seep through her slightly chilled body. A cold hand suddenly snaked under her shirt around her waist. She let out a shriek of surprise, nearly spilling her still full mug all over herself.

A deep chuckle greeted her and she set the mug down before turning in his arms and pushing his chest lightly. "You big jerk." She admonished lightly. "I could've burned myself."

"I'm sorry." His sleep-hoarse voice sounded the furthest from sorry he could possibly be and she easily picked up on his tone.

"You are not."

"You're right, I'm not." He dropped a quick kiss on her forehead before gently kissing her lips. "But you love me anyway."

She kissed him back before moving away slightly. "Yes, I love you. And as much as I love having you wrapped around me, I have a need to shower before going into work."

"I…am going back to bed then."

"I thought you might. What are you doing up, anyway?"

"The bed was cold."

"Baby."

"That would be scary, wouldn't it?"

"What would be scary?"

"A mini me running around."

Allison stared at him in disbelief. "A mini you, yes. A baby, no."

"There's a difference?"

"Yes, Greg. A big difference."

"Hmm, maybe you can elaborate on that when I'm awake and I care. Unless...you're pregnant now. Then we'd better talk about it now."

"No, I'm not pregnant. How on earth did we even get on this tangent?"

"You called me a baby!" He whined in a childish tone.

"Oh my god." She rolled her eyes and moved towards the bathroom. "I'm living with a child. Why do I need another one?"

"You think you are so funny!" House hollered after her, a grin on his face.

"And you love me for it." She repeated his words from earlier with a return grin, closing the door to take her shower.

"Damn right I do." He muttered, a grin still lighting his features. A quick glance at the clock confirmed his suspicions. He still had a good three more hours to sleep before heading into work. He was out almost as soon as his head hit the pillow and he never heard his girlfriend digging through the closet or felt the kiss she dropped onto his forehead before she dashed out the door to go to work.

xXx

"One week until Christmas!" Allison was practically dancing around her office as she thought of the week to come. She glanced at the box sitting in the darkest corner, waiting to grace a certain diagnostic department's conference room with its presence. A quick glimpse of the clock on her desk confirmed her suspicions. Greg wouldn't be in for another 2 hours at best.

A mere 10 minutes later, she placed the last colorfully decorated box in its spot, humming softly to herself. He was going to kill her, she was sure of it. But only if he could figure out it was her. And if he did, his reaction to the simply decorated tree would be worth it. He had indulged her wishes reluctantly at home, but at work was different.

She stepped back and admired her handiwork. A small, colorfully decorated tree sat in the middle of the diagnostics table. This tree was surrounded by small, cheerfully wrapped presents, all with the different names of the diagnostics team. There were even a few with House's name on them. She looked up at the clock. 8:00. She grinned.

_Plenty of time. It's about time that he gets a tree in here._

She was just about to leave when Kate Johnston and Eric Foreman walked in, discussing their individual evenings. They paused, staring at the tree in shock. "You…do realize that House is going to kill you, right?" Foreman finally manage to ask the immunologist.

She shrugged nonchalantly, a small grin giving herself away. "What makes you think that it was me?"

Kate examined the packages. "The names are typed out so he can't figure out the handwriting." She grinned hesitantly at Cameron. "Brilliant, Dr. Cameron."

"Thank-you, Dr. Johnston. It was a mite difficult to pull off seeing as we _do_ live together. But all the same, living with him has enabled me to become a little bit more sneaky. My office is an _excellent_ hiding place." She smirked and handed them each a mug and walked out of the department, leaving behind two mildly amused doctors.

True to form, House wasn't in until 9:30, which was actually fairly early for him. By then, Kate had finished his email, as well as written out the different messages from his voice mail and had joined Foreman and Fredrick in the staff lounge to wait for House to drag himself to the hospital.

He ignored the list and collapsed into his desk chair. He was just about to turn on his TV when he noticed the tree.

When the three ducklings and Allison came in 10 minutes later, chatting and laughing, they saw him standing beside the diagnostics table, just staring at the tree intently. Fredrick cleared his throat and House's gaze was drawn over to Allison who stood beside Foreman looking for all the world like she had never left from under his rule.

Cuddy came in right at that moment, brushing past Allison. "House!"

"What?" He snapped without taking his eyes off his girlfriend.

"You have a…" She paused, cocking her head slightly to the left and studying the new decoration in the department. "Nice tree. It's high time for you to start celebrating the holidays. You have a patient." She threw the folder down on the table and left in time for her to miss the glare he shot at her.

"Celebrate the holidays my ass." He muttered, throwing his girlfriend a 'look'. "This is your fault, you know."

"Mine?" She put on an incredulous yet strangely innocent look. "I don't work for you anymore. I have no reason to put a tree here when I can just put it up in _my_ office."

"I had nothing to do with the tree." Foreman insisted.

"Same here." Both Johnston and Fredrick put in simultaneously.

House just glared at all four of them. "One of you did this." He pointed his cane at each, before pausing on Allison. "I'll bet it was you."

"Prove it, Greg." She shot back with a hidden smirk, picking up the file. "Hmm, this is rather boring, actually. I think Cuddy's punishing you."

She handed the folder to Foreman who quickly scanned the contents. "You're right, Cam. Boring."

"Lemme see it." House snatched the folder and carefully read the file. "What are you talking about, this isn't boring! Look at all these delicious symptoms!" He was practically salivating as he read over the symptoms.

"No, but it did get you to read the patient file for once." Allison shot him a grin and quickly escaped the room before he could throw something at her.

"I'll get you back, Allie!" He shouted after her, a slight grin on his face. He turned back to see his three ducklings all grinning at him. "Okay!" He shooed them out the door with a glare and a wave of his hand. "Go get the patient history! Test some blood while you're at it, too."

xXx

"How did you manage to convince me to do this?" House was grumbling as he trudged alongside a gleeful Allison as she practically skipped along the path despite the fact that the snow was still gently blowing all around them.

"I didn't." She reminded him teasingly. "You volunteered, remember. You said, 'Allie, dear. Let's take a walk.'"

House just wrinkled his nose at her and poked her side, causing her to squeal and jump away. When she glared at him, he gave her a mischievous grin and shrugged as if to say 'it's who I am, deal.' With another mock glare at him, she resumed their walk, intertwining her gloved hand with his bare one.

He let a half-smile escape at the feel of her soft glove slip into his rough palm and he held her hand just a bit tighter than usual as they walked down the slippery path, she a bit slower than before because she was now attached to her gimpy boyfriend. She would kick at the powdery flakes that had accumulated on the ground every minute or so just to see them sparkle in the dull sunlight that managed to peak through the clouds that still sprayed snow down on them. He shook his head slightly at the sight of his normally reserved girlfriend acting so childish all due to a bit of snowfall.

_The idea of Christmas probably has something to do with it as well…_ He thought ruefully, wishing not for the first time that he could be just a bit more enthusiastic about the dreaded holiday if even just for her sake.

Allison giggled again as another snowflake fell on her nose and she let go of his hand as she gave a little twirl away from him and onto the grass. House just watched her with mixed emotions. One side of him was cynical and bitter about the obvious joy she felt in a light snow fall, the other felt joy just at seeing her wrapped up in the simple pleasures of life. No one could know the battle that raged in him as he watched his girlfriend spin slowly, her arms outstretched and a delighted grin on her wind-flushed face.

He felt himself give in and a smile brought crinkles to the corners of his eyes. He just watched Allison with a soft expression on his face, his eyes drinking in her small form almost drowning in her winter coat, scarf, hat, and gloves. There was a light dusting of snow covering her and he thought that she never looked more beautiful to him than in that moment.

He smiled even broader when he saw that she realized he was staring and the smile on her own face grew brighter, if that was even possible. He realized in that moment that he was more in love with her than he ever thought humanly possible.

He fingered the small box in his pocket that he had had Kaeyla send to him at the beginning of October. He was waiting for the perfect opportunity to use it and it seemed that now was the perfect timing, now while she was gazing at him with that adoring look in her eyes. Not one warning bell went off in his head as he slowly limped towards her, his cane making circle indents in the snow-covered grass. Not one flicker of panic flared when she cocked her head to the side slightly and took a few steps closer, closing the distance faster than he originally intended.

He pulled his hand out of his pocket and reached out to cup her cheek in his warm, rough palm, marveling at the softness her cheek still had despite the stinging, blowing snow that had been swirling around them for the past 10 minutes. His heart remained steady as he gazed at her and he knew that it was the right choice for him, for them. He decided that he'd been dancing around the bush for three years too long.

"Marry me." His slightly gruff voice broke the tranquil quiet of the field and Allison just stared at him with those eyes of hers that he continually got lost in as he slipped his hand off her face and back into the pocket, pulling out the velvet box. "I've wasted enough time being an idiot and I want to spend the rest of our lives with you reminding me when I'm being an idiotic jerk." He continued when she didn't say anything, his eyes searching hers fervently. "I'd get down on one knee, but the leg sort of makes that imposs…" He didn't get to finish the sentence as she dove at his lips, holding his face in her small yet surprisingly strong hands. He welcomed her soft lips against his slightly chapped ones with as tender of a caress as he could manage.

He pulled back after a bit and gave her a half smile, still holding the small box. "You didn't answer me."

She stared up at him happily with her big doe eyes and kissed him again. "Yes, Greg, yes. A thousand times yes!"

She was almost glowing as he slid the emerald-dotted silver band onto her finger and he wished, not for the first time, that he could pick her up and twirl her. Then he thought _why the hell not_ and dropped his cane so he could wrap both arms tightly around her waist, picking her up slightly and twirling once. As he expected, she gave a half shriek before letting out a small giggle.

He grinned and set her down, forcing himself not to wince as he felt a sharp pain in his mangled thigh radiate through his entire right leg. He felt the handle of his cane pressed into his palm and looked up to see his girlfriend, _fiancée now_ he admonished himself silently, watching him cautiously, the hidden question blaringly obvious in her eyes. He gave a slight shake of his head and forced a smile. "It was worth it to see your face."

She smiled back, the slight worry gone instantly, and framed his face again with her hands. "I love you."

They shared a soft kiss; the pain in House's leg was slowly dissipating as he absorbed her love through that kiss, the snow still swirling around them, both oblivious to anyone who could see them.

House couldn't believe that he had actually done the one thing he swore he'd never do. He was going to get married. He felt a strange emotion in his chest and swore that it was just a figment of his imagination. Either that, or he was going to have a heart attack right then and there. But he knew, deep down, that the emotion he was feeling was simply happiness. Gregory House was genuinely happy and it startled him.

He didn't _feel_ happiness.

Hell, he wasn't supposed to _feel_.

But he did feel happy.

And it felt…good.

Surprisingly good.

Surprisingly _perfect_.

As if he was supposed to feel this way.

As if _life_ were supposed to feel this way.

_Maybe it is._ He mused to himself as he stared down at his now fiancé who was practically glowing with excitement and love as they started back to the hospital. _Maybe it is._

xXx

House disappeared when they reentered hospital having been paged as they were walking back about his patient. Allison made her leisurely way back to her office, stopping along the way to talk with Wilson, Kara the new nurse in pediatrics, and Brenda. However, she didn't mention her recent engagement, and for some reason, none of them seemed to notice the ring that had taken residence on her left hand.

Kara and Brenda she didn't expect to notice. But Wilson? She had been fairly sure that he would see it and comment on it…loudly. But, he just jabbered on and on about how his and Cuddy's relationship was coming along, and how he wanted to go extra slow because he didn't want to screw this one up. She tuned him out when he started on how they hadn't had sex yet because neither of them wanted to base their relationship on the physical aspect. When he finally realized that she wasn't really paying attention, he bid her a good afternoon and moved on to the next unsuspecting victim of his gossip.

She finally made it back to the safety and solitude of her office and collapsed into her chair, a smile still glowing on her face.

This was the missing piece. This was the one thing that she was waiting for, even if she hadn't really realized it until today. Even when her mother had asked her if she wanted him to ask her to marry him, she was content without it. But now that he had asked her, she could imagine nothing else that could make her life seem better then it was now.

Still, she hesitated in telling people so they could share in her excitement. The last thing she wanted was Greg getting pissed at her for disclosing his personal life.

Even as she determined not to spread the good news around, she wondered briefly if it was a bad idea.

xXx

House cornered Allison in her office around two, the crackly sound of "Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer" coming through the speakers barely registering in either mind. "You haven't danced around the hospital announcing our engagement." He accused, leaning against the glass wall of the office. "I thought for sure that I would have been bombarded with questions and well wishes by now. But not even Wilson has approached me with a single whiny screech."

She looked up, somewhat surprised at the putout tone he had. "I thought you'd prefer me not to announce to the world your private life. You like your privacy, remember?" She threw in a bit of sarcasm and turned back to her paperwork. His reaction to her keeping their engagement a secret was not one she expected and it threw her for a loop. He actually wanted her to announce it to the world? That was a surprise all in itself. A movement at the door told her that he hadn't left like she thought he would. She glanced up and started at the intensely dark look in his eyes.

"You're embarrassed of us." His voice was low and emotionless.

She stared at him, aghast. "Greg, of course I'm not!"

"Admit it!" He yelled angrily, ignoring the disapproving looks the nurse in the hall was throwing at him as she walked by. "You haven't announced it because you're embarrassed to be with an old guy like me!"

She slammed her hands down on her desk and stood up. "If that were true," she hissed venomously, "then I wouldn't have agreed to marry you. I didn't announce it all around because I thought you'd prefer it that way."

"Don't kid yourself, Cameron." He growled impatiently, his eyes growing darker.

She felt her heart twist at his use of her last name. "And I thought we were past the insecurity, but obviously not." She sighed softly, throwing herself back down in her chair and watching him with sad eyes. "Greg, if you had let me know in any way, shape, or form through our relationship that you wanted something like this broadcasted for all to see, I'd have done so." She watched as his face grew even stormier, if that were possible. "I know that we made our relationship public in a very…non-conventional way, but…" She paused, her voice trailing off as she thought.

Then it hit her: he was testing her. She gave a small smirk and stood up again. "I can push the intercom button right now and announce it." She pushed the button on the phone and started to speak into the receiver. "Excuse me, attention to anyone who cares…"

She refrained from grinning broadly as House flew across the room and slammed the phone down, glaring at her. She smiled inwardly at his possessive nature and touched his face lightly. "Greg, I love you." His eyes remained cold for a while longer while he appraised her.

She was beginning to think that maybe he really was seriously pissed at her when he suddenly assaulted her lips with a bruising force that she quickly returned. She felt the phone being put to his ear and she heard the distinct sound of the intercom being activated as he pulled away from her tantalizing mouth.

"Paging anyone in the hospital who likes gossip about me, Gregory House." He said loudly never breaking eye contact with her. "I have an announcement to make. Allison Cameron and I are getting married. Wilson, you're the best man. Cuddy, close your mouth. The flies will get in and it's not attractive." He dropped the phone back down on the hook and smirked. She grinned before lunging up at his lips, entwining her arms around his neck. She felt his arms slip around her waist, his cane banging against the back of her legs. They had no idea the chaos that ensued all over the hospital at the announcement.

Wilson and Cuddy were having a conversation in her office about House and how his vicodin intake had been less since he and Cameron started dating when Greg made his big announcement. Cuddy's eyes grew wide and her mouth gaped open, leaving her looking like a fish out of water before House's words registered in her mind and she closed her mouth with a slight blush, though the wide-eyed expression remained. Wilson choked on his words and coughed harshly, trying to remember how to breathe.

In the diagnostic's office, Kate had just taken a drink of coffee and Mark soon found it all over his shirt and face, but strangely enough didn't care. He was too busy gaping up at the speaker they heard the announcement from to hear Kate coughing to get the coffee out of her lungs.

Foreman just shook his head at the announcement and continued with the patient he was seeing in the clinic. More important things were at hand. Like dealing with yet another runny-nosed kid whose mom was convinced was dying. Besides, it's not like he didn't know that the announcement was going to happen eventually. Hell, the whole damn world knew it and quite frankly, it was about damn time. He didn't understand what his friend saw in the sardonic bastard that ran the diagnostic's department, but he mentally wished the best for her.

The nurses on duty all froze and stared at each other. "What possessed Dr. Cameron?" was the question moving around the nursing staff despite Brenda's prodding them to return to their work.

The surgeon working on House's current patient almost dropped the scalpel into the man's chest cavity. His astonished gaze met the eyes of the other dumbfounded doctors and nurses in the room. The entire room was silent save for the steady beeping of the heart monitor, the activity halted for a brief moment as the announcement sank in. They finished the patient quietly, with only the sounds of the monitors and the requests for the instruments, the entire OR team shocked into silence.

Gregory House, bastard extraordinaire, was getting married.

xXx

"Silver bells, silver beeeeells! It's Christmas tiiiiime in the cit-eeeee." House belted out in a surprisingly on-key voice as he pranced down the hall towards the clinic. The nurses were giving him combined looks of shock and alarm as he smiled pleasantly at them and grabbed a file for a random patient. "He-llo, ladies. Wonderful day, is it not?" He said cheerfully before sauntering down to exam room three.

The two nurses sitting at the desk were frozen as they stared at his retreating back. "Did Dr. House just…?" She couldn't finish.

Brenda just blinked. "I think he was actually…_cheerful_." She shuddered violently and flipped through the file in her hand.

"I think it has something to do with his recent engagement…" The young nurse said slowly.

"I'm sure it does. Back to work, Rogers." The pair returned to work, both of their minds on the strange mood swings of the usually sour-mooded doctor.

Whistling as he opened the door to the room and popped his head in, looking around suspiciously and sniffing. "Is it just me, or does it smell like…" He gave an exaggerated sniff here. "…overactive imagination in here?"

The mother inside was not amused. "It is not an overactive imagination. He has genuine symptoms that do not add up to a simple common cold or the flu. I just want to make sure he doesn't have meningitis or something horrid like that." She sniffed indignantly.

House rolled his eyes and closed the door behind him. He had believed that nothing could kill his good mood today, but apparently he was wrong. This was why he hated clinic.

"Now, he's got this…"

"I know." House said impatiently. "I read the file." He held up said object and frowned, looking at the boy curiously. "He didn't look at me when I closed the door."

The mother shrugged. "He's not deaf. He just doesn't react to loud noises like you or I. Now, as I was saying, he has this…"

"How long has he been like that?" House seemed to be interested and was now examining the boy's ears with a light.

Another shrug, this time impatiently. "His entire life. The doctors then told us that nothing was wrong, that sometimes it happens."

House frowned again and shook his head slightly. He ignored the mother who was trying once again to explain her son's symptoms and pressed a button by the door. "I need Dr. Wilson for a consult. Tell him it's important."

He sat down on a chair and propped his feet on the counter, pulling out his game boy.

"What are you doing?" The mother demanded.

His eyebrows rose and he eyed her from overtop his game. "Waiting."

They didn't have long to wait. He only got through one level before he heard movement outside the door.

A knock at the door as it opened revealed James Wilson, who was more than a little perturbed at being disturbed yet again by House. "House, this had better not be one of those 'I'm trying to get out of work' stunts again." He glared at his friend and held out his hand to the mother. "Hello, I'm Dr. Wilson."

"Patricia Moon." She said shortly, ignoring the proffered hand.

He frowned slightly but mentally shrugged it off and turned to House. "So, why am I here?"

House gave a chin up nod as he stood up. "Take a look at this." He handed Wilson the light and the oncologist took a look into the boy's ears.

"Wow." Wilson said finally, looking over at the diagnostician. "Are you thinking…?"

He nodded. "I am." He said somewhat sadly.

"Oh dear." Wilson shook his head and sighed. "That's what I thought, and it's not good."

"Nope, not at all." House agreed. The two men turned to leave the room.

"Wait!" The mother was angry. "What is wrong with my son!?" She demanded anxiously.

House and Wilson froze, looking at each other as if saying 'you tell her'. House finally lost the eye war and turned to her slowly, his face drawn and sad. "I hate to tell you this, ma'am."

He was being polite and he was never polite as the mother knew from his reputation. "Oh, god. He's dying isn't he?" She began to tear up and ran to hold her boy. "Oh, Sam."

Sam pushed away. "Get a grip, Mom. I'm fine. He's being a bastard and making fun of you."

House made a face. "Well you're no fun." He returned Sam's stuck out tongue face with a mocking one of his own and turned back to the mom, a long-suffering look on his face. "He's fine. He has a cold accompanied with an earache. Here's a prescription for the earache and just so you know…everyone has selective hearing."

Patricia made an astonished face and pointed her finger at House. "You'll be hearing from my lawyers!" She screeched.

"Geez, Mom!" Sam slid off the table, snatched the prescription, and walked out the door. "He only told you what every other doctor has told you a hundred times. Only this time, he told you in a way you'd listen to. Get a life!"

With a final glare at the two men, she raced down the hall after her 12 year old son.

"Merry Christmas!" House hollered after her, a huge grin appearing on his face when she flipped him off.

When they were sure she couldn't hear them, the two friends started to laugh. It took about five minutes for them to calm down and when they did, Wilson was wiping his eyes from the tears. "That was priceless, House. I must say that I do enjoy that every once in awhile."

House grinned. "Me too. Pity Allie wasn't down here to see that. You know what her reaction would have been?"

Wilson smirked. "'Greg! That was downright mean!'" He imitated her voice and the two men started to laugh again.

"Actually, it was downright funny." Allison stood at the door and her voice halted the two in the middle of their laughter. "From what I can tell, you finally convinced her that her son won't die from a mere cold." Her lips were shaped in a private smile which House returned.

Wilson glanced between the two and cleared his throat uncomfortably. "Well. I can see that this is a great time for me to go now." He turned and quickly left the room, closing the door behind him. He told the nurse that Exam room three was not to be used until Dr. House or Dr. Cameron or both passed by her and headed back to his office.

The moment the door was closed, House closed in on her, though she came to meet him halfway. The kiss was intense and left them both somewhat breathless.

"Not here." House said softly, though his body disagreed.

"I know." She smiled at him and kissed him lightly. "Besides, I'd much prefer to ravage you at home in our bed. Much more comforting to have the home field advantage."

"Why Allie, was that a sports metaphor that just escaped your lips?" House teased her lightly and she blushed slightly.

"Yes, well I've been around you too long, I suppose."

"Probably." He agreed before releasing her and opening the door for her. "After you, m'lady."

"As it should be. " She grinned as she left. She knew his reasons for making her leave first and gave her hips an extra wiggle as she passed him, feeling his eyes on her backside.

As they passed by Cuddy's office, he groaned when she called out his name. "Why me? Just when I was thinking that nothing could ruin my good mood, too."

Allison laughed. "Go, I'll be waiting for you in my office. I have paperwork anyway."

"Bah, paperwork." He brushed it off with a scoff and dropped a quick kiss on her lips. "Love you."

"You too." She disappeared into the elevator and he trudged into Cuddy's office.

"I heard a strange rumor about 10 minutes ago." She began without hesitation. "Were you actually _cheerful_ on your way to clinic?"

"Well, strange as it may seem….I think I have a right to be cheerful after announcing my engagement." House said sulkily, his good mood almost completely dissipated into the thick air of her office.

"I'm not saying that you don't, I'm just saying that it's nice to see you smile again."

"Go to hell." He muttered sullenly. "I don't need your approval of my moods."

"I'm not saying that I approve."

"And here comes the condescending tone in your voice. Careful, Cuddles. You don't want the twins to catch up on some bad habits." He eyed her barely concealed cleavage briefly before looking out the window to the snow outside.

She smiled inwardly at the fact that his eyes didn't linger on her bosom like it usually did, though her face was still frowning deeply. Maybe being engaged was good for him. "You know, House, they say that silence is golden. You might want…"

He interrupted Cuddy with a frown and a downward slice of his hand. "Silence is golden. Duct tape is silver. I prefer silver, so if you want me to shut up, use it. Better yet, you should use it on yourself."

"House…"

"You want to know something? Allison doesn't try to change me. She actually likes me for me. Amazing, isn't it? The entire world, including my parents, thinks of me as a bastard, but Allie? Nope, she loves me _despite_ the fact that I'm a bastard." He leaned back in his chair and very nearly grinned openly. "Amazing, isn't it? I think that that is the reason she's agreed to marry me. She loves me."

"House, I'm not saying that…" She was once again interrupted.

"You know something else? I don't remember signing up for this conversation." House mused thoughtfully. He waved 'goodbye' to Cuddy. "See ya later, Cuddle bug."

"House, I did not…." The slamming of her office door halted her statement before what he said fully registered in her muddled mind. "'Cuddle bug'?!?"

Shaking her head, she shuffled some papers around on her desk, trying to locate a phone number when she saw it. A small box with a bow tied haphazardly around the center.

She opened the box to reveal a tape with a note that read _evidence that I'm always right_ attached to it.

She shoved the tape into her own tape recorder and pushed play. A discussion filled the room and she narrowed her eyes in confusion. With a growing frown, she realized what she was listening to. Foreman had told her about the fake case House had given his two newest fellows and how quickly Mark had seemed to come up with the answer. Cuddy would never forget that case simply because it was during that case that House had nearly given her a heart attack in the middle of the night. It was also during the short span of time that House had been pain free and vicodin free and she fervently longed for that small span of months. As she listened to Mark's diagnosis of the patient, she recalled the diagnosis House had presented at her window in the middle of the night and for some reason, she found herself growing angry.

"GREGORY HOUSE!" Her screech could be heard throughout the entirety of the first floor and doctors and nurses alike were startled at the sound of it. House, who was just leaving the hospital with Allison held close to him, just chuckled and quickly pulled his confused fiancé out of the door before Cuddy could find him, eager for a quiet night with his Allie.


	28. A NotSoSilent Night

Story Title: Touch of Destiny

Chapter 28: A Not-So-Silent Night

Chapter summery: House figures out that Christmas isn't as bad as he thinks and learns something about his fiancé that he never would have expected.

xXx

Disclaimer: Not mine, unless you don't recognize a character. Then it is mine, and you shouldn't take it. Such as….Dotty Myers, Kate Johnston, and Mark Fredrick are all mine.

AN: So here's the rest of the Christmas chapter! And in this chapter we find out why in chapter 26 Allyn with his sudden arrival wasn't as out of place as it seemed….sorry about that folks!

xXx

kdip4014: I do aim for perfection!

obsessedwithstabler: Yes, yes, wedding bells. Now for the journey to the alter…This'll be fun! And are you ever going to update Hide and Seek? Just a question….no pressure or anything. Lol.

Alexis1985: I'm glad you loved it! Keep reading!

CameronSister: (beams) I was aimin' for entertainment!

Sweetgreuy: Yes, yes he is, and yes we do. And no I haven't…not yet. Well, by the time you read this I will have….

bones4life: I'm glad!

vands88: I strive for brilliance as well as perfection. I'm glad the brilliance was achieved!

whoKHM: Once again, your review made me smile. Okay, more like grin from ear to ear. I never want this to become a sugary sweet House/Cam story because honestly, can you see House being sugary sweet? No. I'm delighted that you approve!

paradisegurl31: I'm glad you enjoyed it!

FaNtAsMaS ChiCa: It is about time. And the 'Cuddle Bug' came to me randomly. Either that, or I read it some where. I don't rightly remember…(sheepish look)

AllisonCammie: Thanks!

This-Family-Affair: I think that that is precisely why they gave her the name "Cuddy". Lol!

Ashley Fisher: I'm glad you like it! It makes my day!

xXx

It had been a week filled with lots of extra clinic hours on his part, which Greg had grudgingly obliged. He wouldn't have, normally, except that Cuddy had used a very viable threat: she'd put Foreman in charge of the department and _lock_ him into the clinic for a month. He guessed that she didn't appreciate the little Christmas present he had left her. It wasn't his fault that one of his fellows was as smart and conniving as he was.

The only bright spot of the week was that every time he saw Allison, his whole world seemed to glow. It was ridiculous, he knew, but he couldn't help feeling that way. He greatly enjoyed putting the entire nursing staff in a state of confusion with his cheerful whistling and humming of Christmas tunes as he went from exam room to exam room.

"I am sick of the holidays and all the illnesses and paranoia's that accompany it!" He announced loudly as he stepped into the waiting room. "For all you worried mothers, if your child's nose is dripping and he's coughing, it's a cold. If he has a fever, it's the flu. Go away. If you actually have something wrong with you, you can stay. It's Christmas Eve! Why don't you want to be home?"

"House!"

"And here is SuperCuddles to save the day!" House struck a pose with his cane sticking straight up into the air before he pointed it at Cuddy. "What is your motto, SuperCuddles?"

"Stop terrorizing the patients, House."

"That's not a very good motto." He said disapprovingly, shaking his head. "Very boring. You need to be more creative."

"Huh?" She shook her head slightly to rid herself of the confusion and frowned at him. "Just stop. Take Dr. Cameron and go home. The entire hospital is getting nauseous at the looks you two keep giving each other and are all on edge due to your…personality change."

"What looks?" House questioned innocently. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

"You smiled. You smiled at every single one of the nurses at least once, if not twice."

House clapped his free hand to his cheek in faux shock. "Oh, no! Scandalous!"

"And now they are paranoid and can't work." Cuddy finished with an annoyed sigh. "Go home."

"Your wish is my command." He said loudly. "I'm off to a better place…which is anywhere that isn't here. Bye all!" He waved at all the patients and sauntered out of the waiting room towards the elevator. He was going to collect his stuff, and Allison, and head home.

xXx

_Knock, knock, knock!_

"Greg, will you get the door please?" Allison pleaded from the kitchen where she was elbow deep in dishwater.

"What if it's carolers?" He whined loudly.

"Just answer the damn door! If it is carolers, tell them to go away…nicely!"

"Fine, whatever." He muttered, standing slowly and moving to the door. Flinging it open, he came face to face with an eerily familiar mug.

"Why hello there, Greg!" Allyn Cameron grinned at the stunned yet annoyed expression on the doctor's face. "Fancy seeing you here!"

House just stared at who he suddenly deemed the unwelcome visitor. "Dear, it's for you!" He hollered somewhat sarcastically, limping away from the door to let Allyn walk in if he so wished.

"What did you say?" Allison dried off her hands as she walked out of the kitchen and glanced at the front door. "Allyn! I thought you were going to Mom and Dads?"

"I _went_ to Mom and Dad's." He grinned. "Why, don't you want to see your favorite twin brother?"

"You know I'm always happy to see you, Al." She gave him a hug, beaming brightly, and practically pulled him into the apartment.

"They say 'hi' by the way." He added, dropping his small suitcase beside the couch and closing the door behind him as he entered. "Nice place, Greg." He addressed the man who was trying to disappear behind his piano.

House poked his head around and glared at the intruder. "How the hell did you find us?"

"Greg!"

"Allie!" He mocked.

Allyn just laughed. "It's called MapQuest. I'm interrupting something, aren't I?" It wasn't a question. "Sorry."

"You're anything _but_ sorry, Allyn." Allison muttered with a slight grin, moving over towards where her man was cowering. "Get up, Greg. You look like a three year old."

"I am_ not_ a three year old." House stuck out his tongue, effectively ruining his defense. "What I had planned for us tonight were not something a three year old would want to do, nor would have the _concept_ of doing."

"Hello, brother in room?"

"So leave." House grumbled, slowly moving towards the couch in defeat.

"Nuh uh. Can't make me." Allyn grinned childishly, hugging his sister tightly from behind.

"Great. I have two of them now." She muttered good-naturedly, shoving her brother away from her lightly and grinning at him.

"You know you wouldn't have us any other way, Al." Allyn said convincingly. "Besides, what else is life for if not for acting either way older than you are, or way younger."

"Hey, I like this kid." House said with a grin. "Okay, you can stay."

Allison threw her hands up into the air. "Someone save me, please!"

"Sorry, Al, no one here but us kids." Allyn shrugged. "Guess you'll have to join us."

"I'll pass." She rebutted dryly. "Someone has to control the wild animals."

"That's me!" House announced from his spot on the couch. "Roar!"

Both he and Allyn laughed when she groaned loudly in exasperation and disappeared back into the kitchen.

"Are you two getting hitched yet?" Allyn yelled so she could hear him.

"Greg's sitting right there, ask him!"

She could hear some low muttering before he called out again. "He said to ask you."

"Yes." She sounded slightly exasperated and he smiled at her as she came back to the living room.

"Bout time, sis."

"So, no threats about how if I defile her or mar her starling reputation in any way, shape or form you'll kill me?" House questioned sarcastically.

"Nope, just one stipulation. Before you can marry my sister, you have to meet the whole family."

House just stared in disbelief at Cameron's twin brother. "All of them?" He finally asked weakly.

"All of them." The younger man nodded affirmatively with a gleeful smirk.

"That can't be too bad, can it?" He glanced at Allison who was trying her hardest not to start laughing.

"Well, depends on how good of a memory you have." She grinned at the horrified look on his face.

Allyn grinned as well. "We'll start from the top and go down. Our parents, Kaeyla and Bill, you know. The kids are as follows: Mark, who is 38, is a bush pilot in South America, which is why none of us ever talk to him except for the infrequent letters he's able to send. He's married, surprisingly enough, to a woman by the name of Sarah and they have three kids who seem to love their life. Alex is 12, Jeremiah is 10, and Alicia is 6."

"Last I heard, though, was that he was planning on returning to the United States within the year. He doesn't want his kids to never meet their cousins, aunts, and uncles." Allison added.

"Yeah, that's what I heard, too." Allyn agreed. "Anyway, I am next, with Allison here five minutes behind. She's been behind me ever since."

"You wish, Squid!" She punched him lightly and they shared a grin that only twins can identify with.

"Anyway, we're 33. Bear, as you know, is a doctor. I am a poor, undiscovered artist who…"

"Oh brother!" Allison groaned. "Undiscovered my ass." She turned to Greg and pointed her finger at her brother. "Let me tell you about this kid. He paints, can draw in any medium you want, sculpts, makes balancing rock statues, does living statue, can…"

"Okay, Bear, enough!" Allyn clapped a hand over his younger sister's mouth. "She exaggerates."

She wrenched away and shook her head. "I do not. He also invents different Rube Goldberg devices. Greg, you need to see some of what he does. I have some of his artwork as well as some videos of him doing living statue."

"I hope you still have that tape of the time that you did it _with_ me instead of filming."

She threw her brother a glare when House perked up, interested.

"Tell me about this."

"Greg, I really don't…"

"It was amazing!" Allyn interrupted and leaned forward in his chair eagerly. "Let me tell you, buddy. We were in San Francisco and the guy who usually did it with me couldn't make it…"

"And since I usually videotaped, he was convinced that I'd seen him do it enough that I could do it."

"It took awhile to talk her into it, like a 'half-an-hour' while."

"So I took his friend's costume and we were soon on the streets of the city. Where were we, Allyn?"

"Pier 39, I think, first. Then Lombard Street."

"And then Ghirardelli Square. Or was that before Lombard…?"

"Eh, whatever." Allyn shrugged nonchalantly. "Doesn't really matter."

"Oh, we're getting off topic!" She burst out suddenly.

"Huh?" This was Greg, who was trying to keep up with the pair.

"We were telling you about our family." Allison explained with a grin. "Where did we leave off, Squid?"

"Me, I believe." He gave her a look that she interpreted as him telling her that the previous topic would be visited later that evening.

"M'kay." She took a deep breath and continued on. "Jake is 30, and he is a livewire. He never could sit still."

"None of us could." Allyn interjected with a grin.

His sister shot a glare at him and kept going. "Still can't, as a matter-a-fact. He is a kindergarten teacher in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. He's married to Karlee and they have one daughter, Jessica, who is almost three.

"There's River, who's 29, stay at home mom who's married to Daniel Moore who is an architect."

River?" House looked confused.

Allison nodded. "Yeah, she changed her name after she saw Firefly and decided that she looked just like River on the show. It used to be Katie Marie Cameron, but now it's River Moore. She and Daniel have one kid, Caleb, who's two. Then comes Jaylen who's 25 and dating a girl by the name of…what was her name, Allyn?"

"Storm, I think. Or Stormy. Something like that." Allyn grinned. "We call her The Storm Cloud. She has somewhat of a temper."

"Anyway, Jaylen is just finishing his degree in secondary education. High school math, if my memory serves me correctly. She is an art major, no wait. No, she's a graphics major. Yeah, computer graphics and she has a year left. Jay graduates this year."

"Next are another set of twins Becca and Bart. They're 21 and both go to school in…Allie, where do they go to school?"

"I don't remember. The name is weird so I never know how to actually pronounce the name, let alone remember it. Though I do know that Bart is a business major and Becca is a nursing major with French and Swahili minors. She wants to help out in remote areas in Africa where no one speaks English."

"So you're the normal one?" House questioned with a grin.

Allison rolled her eyes slightly and shrugged. "Someone had to be."

Allyn coughed to get their attention again. When he had it, he continued. "Last, but not least, are the triplets."

"Triplets?" House's eyes grew wide.

"Gotcha." The twin's grinned and said in unison.

"Actually, last but not least is our little sister Legra." Allison finished.

"Legra?"

"She means **A-**llegra." Allyn corrected.

"You mean like the allergy medication?"

Allison grinned. "Yup. Allegra is 19."

House frowned. "How come I didn't meet her when I was at your folk's house?"

"She doesn't live at home." Allyn explained. "She moved out when she was 16. We rarely see her any more because…"

When neither of them continued, House frowned. "Because…?" He prodded.

The siblings shared a look. "Because she lives in Haiti."

"Why Haiti?"

They shared another look and Allison sighed. "She married a guy from Haiti and moved with him. Last I heard, they had a kid. She didn't tell us anything else except that she named the kid Lana."

"We assumed that it was a girl, but knowing our sis, she would've named a boy that too." Allyn shrugged as he explained.

"Huh." Greg was floored with the amount of information he was thrown. "I never would've guessed."

"I'm not married." Allyn added. "Seems that no one is interesting in an overly talented guy who's a bit quirky at times." He pushed his glasses up on his nose to prevent them from falling off.

"Someone is out there for you, Squid." Allison gave him a hug and pulled on his plaid newsboys' cap playfully. "Besides, if someone like Greg here can snag me, I _know_ that someone can snag you."

"Hey!" The man in question protested from his spot in the kitchen and glared at his fiancé.

"You know it's true." Allyn's booming laughter echoed through the apartment and he sauntered down towards the bathroom. "Wait until you hear about the rest of San Fran. HA!"

"You wanna explain any of it before he returns?" House turned to Allison who was glaring in the direction her brother disappeared to.

"Not really, no. I never wanted that part of my past to get to you. Ever."

House laughed. "Too bad. Now I'm interested."

"You're always interested." She snorted.

"True."

"Hmm, curious one, aren't you?" Allyn had returned from the bathroom in time to hear the last part of the short conversation. "Al, why is it you always choose the stubborn, curious asses to marry?"

"David was not a stubborn, curious ass." Allison disagreed.

"The current stubborn curious ass is still here, you know."

They ignored House and continued with their slight argument. "He was too."

"Nope. That was you, after you met him."

"Hmph." Allyn pouted at his sister who poked him. "Fine, now Greg, about San Francisco…"

"God, no please." Allison complained. "The last thing he needs on me is more blackmail material."

"Oh, now I'm _really_ interested!" House exclaimed in a girly voice. "Tell me, tell me!"

"As you wish." Allyn gave an exaggerated bow and grinned. "As I already told you, we were in San doing living statue. I, of course, was the serious one and never tried to scare anyone out of their wits."

He was interrupted by an un-lady-like snort coming from his sister who was rummaging around in the kitchen looking for something to drink.

He shot a glare in her direction and continued. "Fine, I greatly enjoyed freaking people out. But Bear here was the worst."

"I was not!" She hollered from the kitchen. "George was!"

"Okay, fine. I'll give you that." He admitted reluctantly. "Allie decided that she needed to stand there and wait until a couple of kids or some ditzy, cheerleader type girls had gathered around her before she jerked like the statue was coming alive and grinning at them. 'Hi! My name is The Thinker. Would you like to think with me?' And she'd have this wild expression on her face, huge bug eyes and an overdone smile."

House was laughing and he could hear Cameron snorting she was laughing so hard. "Oh my god, are you serious?" He managed to get out.

"Dead." She walked back into the living room. "The looks on their faces were priceless. They were all like 'SHIT IT'S ALIVE!' Those _were_ the times, let me tell you."

"Yeah, they were. Though the statues _were_ supposed to already be interacting with the people, it was highly amusing to see you scare people." Allyn agreed and moved to loop his arm around Allison's shoulders. "Whaddya say we make some new memories, my sib sister?"

"Oh no. No-nononono. No way." She shook her head violently. "There is no way in hell that I am going to do that in Princeton. I _live_ here, Squid, remember?"

"Aww, c'mon sis, they'll love it. Besides, you know that people won't know it's you!" He protested, trying to convince her to do it.

"Wait, do living statue here?" House asked, confused. "It's almost January."

"Yeah." They said in unison, Allyn hopeful and Allison resigned.

"I have some winterized costumes." Allyn added, his tone still hopeful.

"Fine, but you owe me, Allyn." She grumbled with a sigh.

"Woot!" He pumped a fist in the air and danced around the room.

"You said winterized costumes."

"Yeah, I did."

"_With_ you."

"Yes…? Where are you going with this?"

"Meaning you planned this." She muttered accusingly, though the corners of her mouth were upturned with amusement.

"Well of course!" He grinned impishly at her and she found herself grinning back, unable to stay mad at her brother. "Great! Tomorrow?"

"Tomorrow, my dear brother, is Christmas _day_."

"So…that's a no on tomorrow. How about Wednesday then? Tons of people will be out and we'll amuse them as they scurry about like chickens with their heads cut off."

"Did it ever occur to you that I might want to actually go _shopping_ the day after Christmas?"

"No."

"Figures."

"There is no way in hell I'm going shopping with you, Allie!"

"Did I ask you to, Greg?"

"Point taken."

"So Wednesday then?"

She sighed at his hopeful tone. "As long as the video camera is no where in sight."

"Agreed."

The twins shook hands and Allyn smiled brightly at his sister. "You have just made my Christmas, Sis. I'm going to bed. Do you have a guest room?"

House shot Allison a glare. "So that's why you were cleaning out my office."

She managed to look guilty. "I wasn't sure if he was actually going to come for Christmas or not. He said he was going to Mom and Dad's but to have a place for him to sleep 'just in case'."

"Which door?" Allyn asked, picking up his suitcase.

"The door on the right. Left is our bedroom, so don't ever go in there. The bathroom is straight ahead." House directed with his cane.

"Thanks! Night, all! Don't keep me up all night." He called out over his shoulder as he disappeared into the guest room.

"Wear earplugs." House yelled back with a small glare. He glanced at Allison and winced slightly. "Well, your brother is…interesting." He said finally, the sound of the guest room door closing still ringing through the apartment.

"Yes he is. Wait until you meet the rest of them."

"Yeah." House froze. "Wait. You mean I actually _have_ to meet them all?"

Allison shot him a confused look. "You didn't honestly think that you could marry me without meeting all my family?" She grinned at the horrified expression that crossed his face and kissed his cheek as she left the room, throwing out over her shoulder. "And you thought meeting both of my parents were intimidating. Wait until you meet my sisters…not to mention my other brothers."

House's expression resembled a shock-still cow in the face of an oncoming speeding train.

xXx

Allison woke the next morning to the sound of…singing? She cracked an eye open and propped herself up on her elbows, her sleep-fuzzy brain trying to comprehend why the hell someone would be singing in her kitchen. House groaned next to her and her pillow was soon gripped in his hands with him trying to drown out the cheerful singing.

"Shut him up." House muttered grouchily.

"What time is it?" She sounded tired as she reached over to grab her clock. She let out an agonized groan when she saw the time.

"Well?"

"7:30."

"I'm going to kill your brother." House rolled out of bed and snatched his cane from where it had been tossed the night before and stormed out into the kitchen area.

Allison followed more slowly, taking time to pull on her white terry robe with the little green frogs and glance in the mirror to double check her appearance.

"Good morning you two!" Allyn chirped from where he was cooking what seemed to resemble actual breakfast. "I was wondering when you would get up."

"It is 7:30 in the bloody morning, you idiot." House growled. "Why the hell are you singing?"

"Because it's Christmas." He stated as if it were the most obvious answer in the world.

"Did I forget to mention that he is exceptionally bright and cheery in the morning?" Her quiet, innocent sounding voice sounded from House's side and he glared at her.

"Yes."

"Oops." She didn't sound sorry at all and moved to where Allyn had prepared a cup of coffee. "Thank-you, brother mine, and Merry Christmas."

"You're welcome, sister sibling, and Merry Christmas to you, too."

"What about me?" House groused. "If you wake me up, you get me coffee."

"Red mug."

"Hey!" He brightened up. "It's even in my mug! How'd you know?"

"Your name is written on the side."

"Huh?" Sure enough, there was his name scrawled across the mug. "I never noticed that before."

"That's because you're always too tired to care." Allison piped up with a grin.

He made a face at her and sat down next to her at the table. "Feed me, slave." He shook his cane at Allyn before hooking it over the edge of the chair on the other side of him.

"I made this for me. If you want some, make your own."

"This is my house. I can throw you out into the bitter cold if I want to."

"I was kidding." Allyn set down the two plates in his hand and grabbed his own before sitting down across from his sister. "I figured you two would be hungry after last night."

"We didn't do anything, Allyn." Allison's face turned red despite her comment.

"Not for lack of trying." House muttered and Allyn laughed.

"All the same, eat."

"Yes, _Dad_." House snarked as he bit into the potatoes and eggs. "After this, I want presents."

"I think that can be arranged." Allison grinned, taking another sip of her coffee.

xXx

"Damn, you went all out, didn't you?" Allyn sounded amazed as he stared at the tree and the vast array of gaily wrapped boxes surrounding it.

"Actually, most of them aren't real. The ones that are real are on the right side of the tree. I think there's only three or four." She shrugged. "I'm the only one that did any Christmas shopping unless Greg went out when I was sleeping.

He just gave her a sly grin and plopped down on the couch. "Deliver me my presents, woman."

"As you command, master." She threw a box at him and he caught it before it could hit his face. "Hey!" He protested as he peered into the box. "It's empty!"

"Exactly." The look she shot him said it all.

"Fine, I'll stop." He pouted and leaned back against the back of the couch. "Can I have my presents, _please_?"

"Of course." She grinned and this time handed him an actual present.

"This is messed up." House grumbled as he ripped off the paper. "I have to be _polite_ to get what's mine?"

"It's not yours until you open it. Until then, they are mine."

"Well this one is now mine." He declared, grinning when he saw the contents. "Seriously?"

She grinned. "What do you think?"

"Sweet."

"What did she get you?" Allyn was curious.

House pulled out three t-shirts, one with the Rolling Stones, one with The Who, and one Pink Floyd shirt. Attached to the top shirt were two tickets to see a sort of 'reunion' tour with what was left of all three bands playing in succession.

"I know it won't be like it would have been when they were new, but…"

"Hey, don't apologize." House protested. "This is awesome! And there's more?"

"Yeah, I probably should have waited with this one." She sighed dramatically. "The rest aren't nearly as exciting."

"Hell, you could have wrapped up coal and I'd be happy after this gift!"

"I'll keep that in mind for next year." She said dryly, handing a gift to her brother. "I took the chance that you'd be here so my present for you is here."

"Gnarly." He grinned and tore into the box. "Hey! I don't have this shirt!"

"Another shirt?" House smirked. "Are you trying to tell us that we need new clothes?"

"No, it's more of an inside joke." She said apologetically with a grin tossed into her brother's direction. "Like it, bro?"

Allyn had quickly stripped his current shirt off and pulled on the new one without taking the tags off. The front simply said 'Browncoat' and when he turned around, House noticed that the back had some words as well that read 'I aim to misbehave.'

He frowned. "I don't get it."

"If you had paid attention when I was watching Serenity, you would." She rebuked gently, grinning when House stuck his tongue out at her.

"Hell yeah, I'm aimin' to misbehave. Look out, you purple bellies!" Allyn strutted around the living room with a proud swagger that would have put Malcom Reynolds to shame. "This is down right shiny, sister!"

"I knew you'd like that." She reached down and picked out another gift. "Here, Greg."

"For me?" He pretended to be shocked before pulling a disgusted face. "Is it another shirt?"

"Just open it, you big lug." She smacked his arm and settled back on her heels, her eyes never leaving his face.

A shocked look crossed his face as his mind took in what the box contained. "You didn't."

"I did."

"No way."

"Yes way."

He slowly pulled out the contents. "Cuddy is going to hate you when she finds out it was you who gave me this."

She grinned. "I know." She didn't sound worried in the slightest.

What House had pulled out was a small desk plaque that read 'My boss is a tyrant by day and a stripper by night.'

Allyn burst out laughing when he read the plaque. "_You_ got this engraved, sis?"

She grinned, satisfied with herself and the reaction of the two men. "Yes."

House carefully, and almost reverently, set it down on the coffee table. "I am so putting this in my office, Allie. Here, open yours." He thrust a smallish box at her, not quite meeting her eyes. "I wasn't planning on your brother being here, so…." He shot a glare at Allyn who grinned and made an exaggerated motion in covering his eyes.

She opened the box and gasped. She stared at the contents for a long moment before looking up to meet House's slightly uncertain expression. She leaned over and kissed him gently, pouring her thanks into that kiss.

His hand drifted up to her cheek and he stroked it with the pad of his thumb before pulling away. "So you like it?"

She looked back at the box. "Yes, I do." She smiled as she pulled out the delicate chain that held two small, diamond studded silver hearts that were intertwined together. She reached back to clasp it around her neck when House's hands stopped her.

"Allow me."

She nearly cried at his gentle tone and touch as he clasped the necklace and trailed his hands down her spine, sending hidden shivers through her body.

"You can look now, Allyn." House's low voice sent a wave of heat to her secret place and she forced herself to remain calm. He smirked at her, telling her that he knew about the affect he was having on her.

"I have one for you too, sis." Allyn was digging through a bag he had left sitting by the door and pulled out a wrapped package. "I found it when I was at Mom and Dad's a couple months ago."

She carefully pulled back the paper to reveal a ratty looking book. With an audible gasp, she opened the book and tears filled her eyes. "Allyn! Where did you find this?"

He smiled gently. "In a box in Mom's basement."

"What is it?" House asked quietly, instinctively realizing that the book held great importance in her eyes.

"A scrap book my mom made while I was growing up." She wiped at her eyes and pointed to a picture. "There I am at my first piano recital. Christy is the next one." She pointed to the girl sitting in the first chair and gave him a bittersweet smile. "I told you about her, remember?"

He nodded. "She's the one who died when you were 16."

She sniffed. "Yeah."

Allyn walked over to her and enveloped her in his arms. "Merry Christmas."

"Thanks, Allyn." She wiped her eyes again and set the box down. "I think it's time for some football. Who's playing today?"

"Broncos and Greenbay." House answered.

"Greenbay!" Allyn cheered loudly.

Allison shot him a glare. "Broncos are so much better."

"HA!" Her brother disagreed. "Ever since Elway left…"

"Hmph." She grumbled, collapsing against the back of the couch. "Whatever."

"How about this?" House sounded mischievous. "Go Raiders!"

The response he received was two pillows hurled at his head.

xXx

AN: Ah, I had fun with creating Allison's sibs. I know it's been done, many times in fact, but boy oh boy was it fun. Here's the list of sibs and family members of said siblings starting with the oldest:

Mark Anthony Cameron: 38. Married to Sarah. Has three kids: Alex 12, Jeremiah 10, and Alicia 6

Allyn Joe Cameron: 33. Not married. No kids

Allison Joy Cameron: 33. engaged (as we all know…) to Greg House. No kids…yet evil grin

Jake Lance Cameron: 30. Married to Karlee. Has one daughter: Jessica 2 1/2.

River Moore: 29. Married to Daniel Moore. Has one son Caleb, 2.

Jaylen Cain Cameron: 25. Dating Stormy. No kids

Becca Laura Cameron: 21. Not married. No kids

Bart Laurence Cameron: 21. Not married. No kids

Allegra Michele : 19. Married to some guy from Haiti. One kid, Lana, unknown gender and age.

So there are the Cameron sibs. Yes, there are a lot. And I have a friend who has that many siblings and no, her parent's are not divorced.

BTW…Allyn Cameron is based on a real person that I know who really can do all that I make Allyn able to do. Honestly, he's amazing, the real person is.

Aaaand…for any of you who don't know….Browncoats, Malcom Reynolds, River Tam, and Serenity all belong to Joss.

For reference as to who Christy was, go back to chapter 11 and re-read it.

And for the Raiders comment….ask any Bronco's fan to explain it. Or any Raiders fan, I suppose. I'm not either. My dad, however, is an AVID Bronco's fan. I myself am more particular to Steelers for pro and Huskers for college. But don't tell my dad that I'm not a Buffs fan. (Looks around nervously). I go to school in Nebraska, and if I hadn't converted, there's no telling what would have happened to me!


	29. Some Days You’re the Pigeon

Story Title: Touch of Destiny

Chapter 29: Some Days You're the Pigeon, Other Days the Statue

Chapter summery: Allyn enjoys his last day with his sister the day after Christmas.

xXx

Disclaimer: Not mine, unless you don't recognize a character. Then it is mine, and you shouldn't take it. Such as….Dotty Myers, Kate Johnston, Mark Fredrick, and all the Cameron siblings are all mine.

AN: I'm sad. Hardly anyone reviewed the last chapter. I know people are reading it, but please, people. Give me input. If you hated it, let me know why so I can put it into consideration. I can't write better if you don't tell me what I'm doing right or wrong. Like, if I'm too out of character… I do NOT want this to be horridly out of character! I had one really wonderful reader inform me that I have not turned House into some sappy love sick puppy and that they appreciated. Now, they didn't say love sick puppy…those are my words…lol…but you get the point. Yes. REVIEW!

I'm going to, after this chapter, start answering reviews via reply. Takes less time and space and it will be that way until I start school again in August.

I apologize if the beginning doesn't make sense. I felt like it flowed better without descriptions. It's amazing how much a reader can tell from just reading dialogue….

The first part is the typical flow of the conversations between me and my brother.

xXx

sweetgreuy: oh, yes it will be. Lol!!

AllisonCammie: I'm glad you liked it!

Alexis1985: Don't worry. It'll all come together in its time.

Vands88: LOL! It does sound like a movie, doesn't it…? Lol

whoKMH: It was meant as a surprise for her. I like a sweet but not overly sweet House.

Ashley Fisher: I'm really honored! That makes me feel great! I'm so very glad you're enjoying the story that much!!!!

NM42: I'm really glad you liked it! Yay!

xXx

"You promised!"

"Allyn, there is no way in hell I'm wearing this costume!"

"You promised!"

"I lied. So sue me."

"You promised!"

"You've already said that. Three times, in fact. Chose another argument."

"You never break your promises!"

"Ha! Remember that time you made me promise that I'd put a snake in Mark's bed if you got a higher grade on the math test freshman year of high school?"

"Yeah, and you chickened out!"

"I wanted to _live_, thank you very much! Anyway, it was still a broken promise."

_Pause._

"So? That was different! That was more of a dare!"

"And this is not a 'winterized costume' as you put it earlier. This is more appropriate for…a strip club or something!"

"Oh come on! Wait. Open the door and let me see the contents bag." _Pause._ "Oops, wrong bag. That one's supposed to be a joke for a friend."

"A female friend, I hope, unless you've gone gay on me."

"Yes, it's for a 'female friend', not that I have to answer to _you_, Allie."

"Good god, Allyn, this is why you aren't dating anyone. Where's the _correct_ costume?"

"Right here."

"Geez, what is this one supposed to be?"

"Granite statue of Abraham Lincoln."

"And who are you going to be?"

"Martha Stewart."

"Allyn! Be serious!"

"I am serious!"

"Like hell you are! Martha Stewart is not a _statue_, she is a over-paid, over-hyped freak of nature who only _thinks_ she is special."

"Fine, you caught me. I'm going as Sacagawea."

"Drop that sarcastic tone, Allyn Joe Cameron!"

"Geez, fine. Don't have a cow."

"Physically impossible."

"Do you always have to be so…"

"Annoying?"

"Greg, stay out of this!"

"I was thinking 'technical', but thank you, Greg. Yes, Al, annoying?"

"It's my job as a sister."

"And as a girlfriend."

"I'm warning you, Greg. Now get. Go amuse yourself elsewhere. I think Wilson is lonely, especially since I believe that he and Lisa are on a date somewhere. I think it's been too long since you've sabotaged either one of their dates."

"Hmm, yeah, I've been neglecting him. Wouldn't want him to think that I've abandoned him for someone else. Oh wait! I _did_!"

"Greg…."

"Fine, I know when I'm not wanted. I'll be back in an hour or so. Just think of the time I'll save! Instead of two dates to sabotage, I just have one!"

"Greg!"

"Fine, I'm leaving! Love you."

"Love you too. Don't slam the door when you…leave."

"Now, sis, you get to be Lincoln."

"Like hell I am. Give me Sacagawea."

"You're no fun."

"And you're immature. As if I'd consent to being a male statue. And stick that tongue back in your mouth."

"Make me."

"Oh, don't start with me, Allyn! I can still kick your ass."

"Bring it, Al."

"I don't fight girls."

"Now who's being sarcastic?"

"Who said I was being sarcastic?"

"Your tone."

"Drat. Gives me away every time."

"You've been around Greg House too long, Al. Your sarcasm is back."

"Never left, Squid."

"Good point. Now, do I have to dress you or can you do it yourself?"

"I think I can handle a task that I've been doing since I was 4."

"Sarcasm again! This is too much for me to handle!"

"Grow up, you baby."

"I'm not a baby. I passed babyhood 32 years ago."

"Physically, yes. Mentally, that's up for debate."

"Ouch! That hurt right here!"

"Allyn, please. Your liver?"

"Yeah. Ouch. The pain! I think it needs to be removed now."

"Too bad you _need_ your liver."

"I thought it was a useless organ."

"That's your _appendix_, you dork."

"I am not a whale's…"

"Oh-kay! And we're done with being the dictionary of improper slang words."

"You started it."

"I did not."

"Did too."

"Did not."

"Did too."

"Did…arg! No! I am _not_ getting into this with you!"

"I am _so_ good."

"At being a brat, yes you are."

"Says the little sister."

"By five minutes!"

"Still younger….and shorter."

"But I will always be bigger than you because I actually went through that stage called _maturity_."

"I'm mature."

"Ha!"

"Hey, no scoffing!"

"Maybe I wouldn't scoff if what you said was actually true."

"I have matured!"

"Since infancy, yes. Since you were five? That's debatable. Since you were fifteen? Mmm, no."

"Hey!"

"You know that it's the truth."

"The pain!"

"The truth hurts, Allyn. Get over it."

"When did you become the uncaring one of this family?"

"When you started becoming the pain in my ass!"

"But you looooooove meeeeeeeeee."

"Most days."

"Just most?"

"Get rid of that pout."

"It's an endearing quality."

"If by endearing you mean highly immature and childish, yes. Otherwise, it _is_ a very endearing quality…on a 2 year old!"

"Wow, I'm just getting younger and younger as this conversation goes on."

"And the chances of me sticking to my promise are diminishing exponentially as this conversation goes on."

"Fine. You can be the woman."

"Thank you. Now go change so we can paint up."

"Yes ma'am!"

"Why was the only military thing you picked up from Dad the 'yes ma'am' followed by a salute?"

"Because it's a great way to mock you."

"Don't say that around Dad. He'll…"

"…run me up the flag pole by my belt loop before saluting _me_. Thanks for the reminder of Dad and his knack at practical jokes."

"Any time, Allyn, any time."

xXx

"So, you _don't_ kill after mating. Or the first date. Guess I was wrong about the whole black widow or a praying mantis thing."

"House, what are you doing here?" Wilson hissed, throwing Cuddy an apologetic look.

He pulled an offended look. "What, I can't come visit my two bestest fwiends in the whole wide world?" His tone easily matched a little girl, though with more sarcasm than a little girl could even comprehend."

"Again, why are you here?"

"Allie kicked me out."

"You were being annoying, weren't you?"

"Of course I wasn't!"

Cuddy let out an unladylike snort and quickly covered her mouth daintily with a napkin to cover her laughter.

House made a face at her and turned back to Wilson. "I might have been a teeeeeeny bit annoying."

"More likely you were being immensely annoying. Huh, you were being yourself and she kicked you out?"

"Ha…ha…aren't you hilarious." House sent a withering look Wilson's way. "Her brother is leaving tomorrow and they want to do something."

"And you aren't invited?" Wilson was shocked. "House, I'd be worried."

"James…" Cuddy said warningly. "Stop teasing him."

"I'm not worried. I told her I'd be back in an hour. And according to my watch, it's only been a half an hour."

"So you _are_ invited to this little outing of theirs?" Now Wilson was confused. "What are they doing?"

"Nuh uh. Can't tell." His eyes lit up as the waiter came towards the table. "Ooo! Breakfast!"

"No, House, that's mine!" Wilson all but shouted. Heads turned towards their table and he fought the urge to sink under the table. "Do you see what you make me do?" He hissed, hiding his face in his hands.

House was grinning broadly and stood up. "Well, my job here is complete. Have fun, kids." With a nod to Cuddy and a snicker in Wilson's direction, he sauntered off towards the exit.

He let out a loud laugh when he heard Wilson mutter behind him. "He sure knows how to ruin a date."

xXx

"I still can't believe I'm doing this." Allison was in a sulking mood as she dabbed some silver paint to her face and inspected the result in the mirror Allyn was holding up.

"Aw, c'mon, sis. You're going to have fun!" Allyn reached out and swiped at her nose with his pinkie. "There, perfect. How's mine look?"

"Other than the fact that you're too short to be Abe Lincoln, great."

"Says the shortest one of the twins."

"Only because I'm the female of the twins."

"Where's Greg?"

"Yes, change the subject." Allyn could almost hear her roll her eyes. "He said he'd be back in an hour. It's only been an hour and a half. What's the problem?"

"He said an _hour_, sis."

"In Greg House speech, an hour is whenever he feels like getting back. He won't miss this, Allyn. This is too much blackmail material for him to skip out on it." The last part was heavily laced with sarcasm and she checked the mirror once more before taking the mirror from him and setting it on the coffee table.

"Well he should be here."

"And he is here." Greg announced from the doorway. "Did you miss me, Allyn?"

"Of course. I missed you so much." Came the sarcastic reply. "I've been counting the seconds since you left."

"Oh my god." Allison groaned. "I'm not sure how much more of this I can take."

"You love it, you know you do."

"Allyn, I left home to _escape_ from the continuous sarcasm that flowed from you, Dad, and the rest of the gang."

"Uh huh. Explain what you're doing living with the sarcasm master then?"

Allison didn't reply. She just stuck her tongue out at her brother and flounced towards the door. "One hour. That is all I am going to be out there for."

"That's what you said in San Fran, my sib sister." Allyn snorted as they headed to Greg's car.

"How long were you out there?" Greg inquired curiously.

"Three hours."

"Three….HELL NO!" The grumpy doctor practically screeched. "There is no way I am taping three hours of living statue in the middle of the freakin' winter!"

"Taping?" Her tone turned dangerous.

"Oops." Allyn winced. "Sorry, sis. Greg forced me into…"

"I did not!" The accused man burst out unconvincingly.

"You promised, Allyn!"

"Well, I broke my promise because I like to live, thanks."

"You can't use the same argument I did!"

"Well, it's true. Your future hubby here promised me a lifetime of belching splinters if I didn't let him tape this."

"Oh, god. This is going to haunt me for the rest of eternity." She groaned.

"I am _not_ staying out there for three hours!" House yelled even louder, trying to make himself heard.

"Relax, Greg." Allyn rolled his eyes. "Al won't let us stay out that long. She'd freeze if she did anyway."

"I do not want either of you mentioning my name from now on." Allison ordered with a grimace. "The last thing I need is people knowing that I'm doing this right now."

"Fine, I'll just call you Paula."

"You are not calling me by a hooker's name, Greg!"

"How'd you know…?"

"You told me, remember?"

"When?"

"Oh, maybe that was Wilson who told me about her…"

"Wilson was talking to you about my sex life?!"

"Relax, Greg. This was a while ago. Like, before _you_ got shot."

"He talked to you about my sex life?!"

"You aren't going to be thinking about anything else, are you?"

"He _talked_ to you about my _sex_ _life_?!"

"Get over it already! Just don't call me by name."

"I'm not calling you sweetie, dear, or sweetheart."

"Don't really care. Just don't call me Allison, Allie, or Al. Nothing close to my name."

"Care Bear?"

"Like that won't give it away."

"Lollipop?"

"Do I look like candy?"

"Ooo! Candy!"

"I'm not a stripper, Greg!"

"Hmph."

"Stop pouting. Sheesh, I'm both engaged to and related to the two biggest babies on this planet."

"I am not pouting! I'm...thinking."

"Call it whatever you want to, Greg. You were pouting."

"I was not pouting!"

"A pout by any other name looks just as childish."

"That was funny, Al!"

"Allyn…."

"Sorry Bear, I forgot."

"Just call me Sacagawea." She decided firmly. "It's who I am personifying after all."

"Ew." House made a face. "Fine, I just won't talk to you."

"'Sides, won't people see House and assume that it is you anyway?"

She threw her hands up in exasperation and turned around to head back inside. "Fine, I'm not doing this then."

"No, nuh uh." Allyn grabbed her arm and pulled her back towards the car. "There is no way I'm doing this alone and there is no way that I'm _not_ doing this because it takes an eternity to get all this crap on in the first place!"

"Then can we go and get this over with? Please?" She pleaded.

"Yes. Greg?" Allyn questioned the older man.

"Running park fine, Allie?" He said in lue of an answer.

"Wherever is the least populated at this time of year is fine with me."

A mischievous look crossed House's face. "Hmmm…..downtown is pretty empty this time of year."

"Greg…."

"Actually, Greg, go downtown. The more people the better." Allyn smirked at his sister.

"Downtown it is!" House put the car in gear and with a quick glance to make sure no one was coming, sped down the snowy street towards downtown Princeton.

"Allyn…?"

"Yeah, sis?"

"I hate you."

xXx

House decided almost right off that this was not the smartest idea he had ever had. Not only was his leg hurting, he was freezing his nards off. Not that seeing Allison scare the ever loving daylights out of her unsuspecting victims wasn't amusing, he just wasn't keen on the idea of Mount Gregory becoming a ski-resort.

_I don't think I'm ever going to recover from this. This is the coldest I have ever been in my life! _

His face contorted into a grimace as he had a flashback to his past when his father would make him sleep outside in the yard to 'teach him a lesson'.

_I take that back._

"Greg?" He jolted out of his brief sulk down memory lane and frowned slightly at Allison.

"What?"

"I'm going to do the video for a bit. Go get some coffee for the three of us, will you?"

"Why me? Why can't _you_ go get coffee, or, better yet, your brother?"

"At the moment, you're the only one who looks human."

"The things you make me do…" He grumbled as he handed her the camera and picked up his cane from its resting spot near the bench. "I'll be back."

"Thanks, Greg."

"Yeah, yeah." His face contorted into a look that resembled a wince and stalked off towards Starbucks, the sound of his fiancés chuckle following him.

The line inside Starbucks was enormous. He frowned as he stood at the end of the seemingly endless line and grumped. "Anyone want to trade places with the cripple?" He shouted. All he received was a whole shop full of people staring at him blankly. "You'd think they'd treat a cripple better." He muttered, resigning himself to waiting.

"One Caramel Vanilla Latte and two hazelnut coffees." He ordered grumpily as he stood at the counter 10 minutes later, his frozen appendages finally starting to thaw. "And give me one of those tray cup holder things." When the kid at the register gave him a blank look, House waved his flamed cane in the air. "Not only am I crippled, I have to carry three of them. I only have two hands. One when you take in the cane that enables me to even walk to your damn store to buy your overpriced, watered-down coffee."

The kid hurried to produce a cup holder tray and House gave him an exaggerated smile. "Thank you."

He snatched the coffee's and made his way to the sugar and creamer table and proceeded to create his masterpiece and tried to remember what Allyn had had the other mornings in his apartment. Hoping it was the right combination, and then deciding that he didn't care, he made his way back into the icy coldness that was the day after Christmas.

"Here." He said, thrusting the tray of coffee at Allison. "The Caramel Vanilla Latte is yours."

"Thanks, Greg." She took a careful sip and beamed at him. "I really appreciate this."

"Yeah, yeah." He bobbed his head from side to side and gave her a little grin. "Where's your brother?"

"Over there talking to a little girl and her mother. The little girl wanted to know if he was really Abe Lincoln."

"Seriously?"

"She's like three, Greg."

"And she knows who Abe Lincoln was?"

"I guess so."

"Why aren't you taping him?"

"We're taking a break from filming. The battery is running low and I can't change it because of my gloves."

"So take them off."

"I _can't_. They're part of the costume."

"Why are you're making me do everything?"

"Quit griping. You wanted to be here, remember?"

His response was sticking his tongue out at her and quickly changing the battery. "Let's tape some more. Maybe he'll fall or something."

"He will." She said convincingly. "He always does."

True enough, when Allyn stood up from talking to the little girl and took a step backwards, he stepped on a patch of ice. His feet slipped out from under him and he landed hard on his backside.

Allison started laughing and moved over to her brother. "You okay, Allyn?"

"Oww." He moaned. "I think I bruised something."

"Yeah, your ass."

"Ha. Funny." He shot a glare at her and then at House. "Cut it out on the taping, Greg."

"But this is a classic moment!" House said gleefully. "I have coffee for you over here if you want it."

"Yeah, I want it!" He demanded. "I'm freezing."

"Can we go now?" Allison muttered after helping her brother stand. "I think we're all cold and grumpy."

"Yeah, let's go." Allyn agreed.

"House, what are you doing here?"

"Shit!" Allison's eyes widened. "It's Wilson!"

"And your boss." Allyn added.

"Not helping." She hissed. "Hide me, please."

"Go away, Wilson." House grumped, sliding the camera into his jacket pocket.

"What are you doing out here with a video camera. Is that…Allison?"

"Nope, isn't her." A muffled voice sounded from behind Allyn. "I have no idea who you are."

"Liar." Allyn muttered so only she could hear and grunted when her elbow jabbed into his side.

"Allison, I had no idea you did living statue here!" Cuddy threw in her two cents and the younger woman groaned.

"This is definitely not my day." She muttered before forcing a smile on her face. "I don't. My brother forced me into promising that I'd do this with him."

"I'm very impressed!" Cuddy was definitely sounding awed and House frowned.

"Aww, I wanted to use this as blackmail."

"Too bad." Cuddy said firmly. "I think it's great. Would you be interested in doing this for a…"

"No!" Allison interrupted almost desperately. "I will not do this for a fundraiser event, or any other type of event you can think of. This is humiliating enough that you even know about this."

"Why?" The older woman was flabbergasted. "I think it's great!"

"I'm glad_ you_ do." Came the muttered answer. "Can we go home now?" She turned a pleading look in the direction of her brother and House.

"Yup." House determined after a quick scrutiny of his fiancé's strained look. "Later, Cuddles."

The trio made their rapid way back to House's car, leaving behind two befuddled doctors who weren't quite sure what had just transpired.

xXx

"You all packed?" Allison stood at the doorway of the guest room and watched Allyn try and zip his duffle bag up.

"Almost got it…there." He let out a huge sigh and collapsed onto the bed. "Whew. Why do I insist on bringing back more than I take?"

"Because you're more female than you'll admit?"

"Aren't you just hi-larious…." The sarcastic remark was said as a statement rather than a question and was responded to with a huge grin from his sister.

"I am. Thank-you for noticing."

"Sarcasm, sis. Learn to identify it."

"What are your plans after you get back to Seattle?" She asked, ignoring his previous statement.

"I actually have an interview set up at the law firm just down the street from my apartment. Turns out they need a PR person with a graphic design background to handle all their advertising and whatnot."

"I give you two months before you quit." Allison muttered with a small grin.

"Hey! That's not very nice." Allyn pouted. "I can hold a job."

"Not without getting bored out of your mind. Face it, bro. You need a job that's interesting, exciting. You get bored with the mundane-ness of life."

He heaved a sigh. "You're probably right."

"No, I know I'm right."

"If there was another job available, I'd take it."

"We could always use new lobby art!" House called out as he passed by the room. "You could entertain all the little children as they stare at the talking statue in disbelief."

"Thanks, but no thanks." Allyn said dryly. "I like Seattle. Maybe one of the hospitals there needs lobby art."

"You could try." His sister agreed sarcastically before growing serious once more. "When does your plane leave?"

"8. I have to be there in a half an hour, so I'd probably better get going." He sighed again.

"I'm taking you, so I hope you didn't call a taxi."

"I was planning on you taking me. If you hadn't mentioned it, I would've bribed you."

"Bribery sounds good." House poked his head into the room as he passed again. "Go ahead, bribe us."

"Greg…" She said warningly.

Allyn scrunched up his face in thought. "You take me to the airport and I won't…leave dirty socks all over your living room."

"Done!" He shook Allyn's hand firmly.

"Great, now that you two boys have completed your dirty deals, can we get back to the tearful goodbyes?"

"I'll let you be teary, Allie. I'll just stand here with a forlorn expression on my face." House pulled a long, puppy-eyed look and stared at Allyn who started to laugh.

Allison just hit his arm and glared at him. "Enough with the mocking. I'll just take my brother to the airport and you can stay here."

"Nope, no way." House shook his head firmly. "I'm driving both of you because I know you won't be able to see through the tears and I don't want you to die because you can't see. Who'd make my coffee in the morning?"

"I see how important I am to you, Greg." She said dryly.

"You better believe it, o maker of the coffee."

"Whatever, let's just go."

xXx

The airport was packed, not that that was any surprise to the trio standing just outside the automatic doors.

"Time to face the chaos." Allison sighed resignedly. "Do we have to stand in line with you, Allyn?"

"Yes. What if I get lost?"

"Wuss." House shot out with a significant look in Allyn's direction.

"Yeah, I've heard that every day of my life. 'Quit being a wuss.'"

"Okay, boys. Ready?"

"Ready." The two men said in unison, quickly posing as if getting ready to run a race.

"Then go!" She pushed lightly on their backs and the trio set off to find the United ticket counters.

"Mooooo!" Allyn bellowed as they pushed through the crowd to find the end of the line for economy seating.

"Allyn…" Allison groaned when she heard what her brother was doing. "You're 32. I think it's time to grow up."

"I'm a big boy, thank you very much. I'm grown up."

"In stature, maybe."

"Do you really want to get into this argument again?"

"Now, now, children." House said patronizingly. "Do I have to separate you?"

"We're already being separated, _Dad_." Allyn rolled his eyes before coming to a halt at the end of a long line.

Surprisingly enough, the line was moving rather rapidly due to the fantastic organization of the airline staff and in no time Allyn was handing over his check on bag to the attendant and printing out his ticket. A few moments of wrestling through the crowds later, the trio found themselves at the entrance to security.

"It's your turn next, sis."

"I promise I'll visit soon, Allyn." She said tearfully as she hugged her brother good bye.

"Yeah, and I guess I'll come too." House said grumpily, holding out his hand to his future brother-in-law. "She'll pout and threaten no sex for a month if I didn't."

Allyn scrunched up his face into a grimace. "I really needed to know that, thank you." He said sarcastically.

"I aim to please."

"No you don't." The twins said in unison, drawing a laugh from both of them.

"Good luck with this guy, Allie." Allyn hugged his sister one last time before he disappeared into the mass chaos that was the line for security.

The pair stood in silence as the airport clambered on noisily around them, each lost in their own thoughts as they watched the hundreds of people milling about. House was the first to break the melancholy atmosphere.

"Well, that was fun, but now it's time for some 'alone time' if you know what I mean." His voice dropped to a suggestive tone on the last part and drew from Allison a small grin. "I'm currently feeling quite lascivious. Do you think you could help me with that?"

Her grin widened and turned slightly amorous. "I can think of one or two ways to help."

"Then by all means, let's go home!"

xXx

AN: Sincerest apologies to you all! I fully intended to get this _and_ the next one out before the new year, but…it…obviously…didn't happen. (sheepish look) Again, I'm sorry, but the next one has barely been started. I know, I know. Bad Psycho Skittle. Oh well. I don't really like this chapter, but I am honestly so sick of re-reading and reviewing and editing this chapter that I'm posting it anyway.

Random question. Did anyone else notice in the pilot episode that at the very end, the woman on General Hospital said the exact same thing Cuddy said to House earlier in the episode? "Because we're doctors. When we screw up, people die." Cuddy watches General Hospital? Hahahaha!


	30. Auld Lang Sine

Story Title: Touch of Destiny

Chapter 30: Auld Lang Sine

Chapter summery: The New Year comes in with loud boisterousness.

xXx

Disclaimer: Not mine, unless you don't recognize a character. Then it is mine, and you shouldn't take it. Such as….Dotty Myers, Kate Johnston, Mark Fredrick, and all the Cameron siblings are all mine.

AN: This is a short chapter. Much shorter. It was supposed to be posted the first of January…but it obviously didn't happen. /winces/ Sorry. Basically filler…we get to talk to her family, but no new meetings, unless you count her father. But he's already met Bill…so yeah. Read. Review. No reviews no updates. Sorry guys, but I'm sensing a declining interest in this story and I need proof that people are both still reading it and are interested in it. Four people reviewed the last chapter. Four. I'm sad.

xXx

"Mom, it's good to see you!" Allison smiled softly at her mother and enveloped the older woman in her arms.

"Oh, dear, it is good to be here." Kaeyla held her daughter out at arms length and grinned. "You look great."

She grinned back. "Why wouldn't I be great? I'm engaged to the man I've pursued since my first day of work and you are here with me for the New Years."

Kaeyla laughed. "And your father made it down with me. Seems he decided that he needed to see Greg again."

"He'd better not be threatening him."

"Quite the contrary, my dear." Kaeyla winked. "Your Greg is just about to see the _real _side of your father."

"Greg!" Bill bellowed in a boisterous voice as he limped into the apartment. "It's good to see you!"

"Hello Bill." House barely had time to say hello before he found himself catching himself from falling forward from the force of the backslap from the oldest Cameron.

Allison and Kaeyla snickered at the look of shock on Greg's face and Bill guffawed loudly.

"Welcome to the family, son!"

"Uh, thanks Bill." Greg scratched his head in confusion. Where was the gruff, grouchy man he had met several months prior?

Allison quickly covered her mouth with her hand to keep the snort of laughter inside at the look of utter shock and confusion playing out on his face. She knew now what her father was doing.

"I don't want you to be a stranger, now, Greg. Call me 'Dad'."

"Well, I…uh…"

"Don't argue with me, son. You're going to marry my daughter which will make you my son-in-law. Means you're going to be family."

"I…uh. I…"

"And since you're family, you're coming to the family reunion this next year."

"Uh…okay…"

"And don't worry about the age thing. I'm 15 years Kaeyla's senior and the rest of the family has nothing against me being older so they'll have no problem with you."

"Uh…I'm…umm…"

"Glad you agree with me, Greg." Bill gave Greg another slap on the back. "Now how about some male bonding time?"

"Bonding time?" He finally managed to put two words together.

"Yep." Bill nodded decisively. "Ladies, if you would be so kind…"

"I know just the place we can go, Mom." Allison said with a smirk at Greg who in turn gave her a pleading look. "We'll see you two later, Dad, Greg. Try not to kill each other, 'kay?"

"Wait, Allie!" Greg stuttered just as the door closed behind his fiancé and future mother-in-law. He turned slowly towards Bill, a look of fearful trepidation etched in his features. "You aren't going to hurt me, are you?"

Bill just let out a huge burst of boisterous laughter.

xXx

"Are you sure that was a smart idea, Mom?" Allison was still chuckling as she and her mother piled into the rental car her parents had driven from the airport.

"I'm positive. Your father and your fiancé need to become better acquainted and this is the perfect opportunity to do so."

"Mom, you don't know Greg like I do."

"I'm not sure if he ever told you, dear, but we've held an internet correspondence for quite a few months now."

Allison fell silent as her mom pulled out of the parking space and headed down the street. "I'd suspected as much, but had no conclusive evidence."

"Conclusive evidence?" Kaeyla let out a laugh. "Allie, dear, have you been watching too many crime shows?"

"Mom, I have no time to watch TV. Turn left here at the light."

"Where are we going?" Kaeyla made the turn and glanced at her daughter expectantly.

She shrugged. "Just a small coffee shop that I've been wanting to check out. Greg doesn't like to go out much."

"He does seem a bit reclusive." Kaeyla agreed.

"A bit?" Allison laughed. "That's the understatement of the year."

They shared a laugh before Allison pointed to the right side of the road. "There. Aroma Café."

"Creative." Her mom said dryly.

"Isn't it though?" She agreed with a small chuckle. "I've heard it has good coffee though, so we'll just have to see if my sources are correct."

"Who are your sources?"

"Lisa Cuddy, James Wilson, and Eric Foreman."

"Really? They have time to go to coffee?"

"You're a riot Mom." She snorted sarcastically. "Contrary to popular belief, we _do_ have social lives."

"Not from what I gathered from my conversations with you on the phone. Every time I talked to you, you didn't have a boyfriend, friends outside the hospital, and…"

"Okay, okay, I get your point. No social life. What a shame."

"You and Greg make a wonderful couple. You both evade serious topics and questions by using sarcasm."

"If you say so, Mom."

xXx

"So, remind me again what you do?" Bill had settled himself on the couch and was now fixing Greg with a fatherly look.

House blinked and stared back with a confused expression etched on his face before he slowly answered. "Well, I am board-certified diagnostician with double specialties in infectious diseases and nephrology. Haven't I told you this before?"

"This time I want information that's more in-depth. What is nephrology? Infectious disease is pretty much self-explanatory." Bill asked, leaning forward as if he were interested, which, House surmised, he genuinely was.

"Nephrology is the branch of medicine that deals with the diagnosis and treatment of kidney disorders." The doctor explained.

"And what happened to your leg?"

House started to be a bit suspicious. "I had an infarction."

"You had a heart attack?" Bill sounded confused as to how the heart could affect the leg.

House smiled slightly. "Many people assume as much. An infarction is simply an area of tissue that has died for lack of oxygen. In a myocardial infarction, a heart attack, one of the small arteries that supplies blood to the heart muscle is blocked by a clot. In the case of a pulmonary embolism, a clot blocks the blood to the lungs. "

"So why would this affect the leg?"

House refrained from rolling his eyes by remembering who he was talking to: a non-doctor. "Because the clot cut of the blood flow to my right thigh, causing some very painful muscle death."

"Couldn't the doctors have prevented that from happening?"

"Sure. If the idiots had made the right diagnosis. It took three days for them to diagnose it as a thigh infarct."

"Why so long?" Bill was outraged and for some reason it made House grin inside. Finally, someone who seemed to see the side _he_ had seen.

"Because I'm not diabetic nor do I have sickle-cell anemia. Infarctions of this sort rarely happen on anyone else." House explained matter-a-factly, as if it explained everything.

"Incompetence, that's what it would have been called in the marines."

"And that's what it's called in medicine, at least by me. Incompetent idiots. All I knew was that it hurt. A lot."

"Is that why you take those pills? You're in pain?"

"Not too many people get to experience muscle death, Bill." House was starting to become uncomfortable and Bill picked up on it. He moved to a slightly safer topic.

"How long have you been a doctor?"

"Ah, there's a hard question. Over 20 years. I'm not sure of the exact number."

"That would make you old, wouldn't it?"

"Not as old as you, I'm sure." House smirked.

"Oh, I'm as old as dirt." Bill joked. "No one is as old as I am."

House snorted. "I can think of a couple of people. Coma guy, for instance."

"And how old is he?"

"No clue. But he's been in a coma for quite a number of years now."

Bill laughed and leaned back against the back of the couch, stretching his arms over his head and sighing. "I could go for some scotch right about now."

"Man after my own heart." House agreed and stood to fetch a bottle and two glasses. His lips quirked up into a smirk as he limped back into the living room. "Wanna play a drinking game?"

xXx

"You aren't serious!"

The two women were laughing hysterically. Allison nodded, grinning all the while. "I am dead serious. Greg nearly jumped out of his skin."

"So he honestly thought the patient was dead?"

"The nurses had pulled the sheet on the guy and everything."

They glanced at each other and burst out laughing again at the image of Greg House screaming like a little girl when the patient he was about to do an autopsy on sat up and cussed him out for trying to cut into him while he was still alive.

"Oh my god!" Kaeyla exclaimed suddenly. "We've been here for two hours!"

Allison resisted the urge to roll her eyes. "Relax, Mom. They're fine. I'm actually relieved that I'm not with those two right now. They're probably drunk."

"I hope not. I keep telling your father that he needs to wait until after five o'clock to drink."

This time, she couldn't resist the eye roll. "Honestly, Mom, do you really think Dad's going to listen?"

Kaeyla paused, thinking, before she grinned at her daughter. "No. So let's go home and get our drunk loves sobered up so we can get them drunk again to celebrate the New Year."

Allison let out a laugh and stood up, gathering their empty cups and throwing them in the trash receptacle. "I'm sure Greg will enjoy an excuse to get drunk off his ass. Knowing him, he's probably badgered Dad into a drinking game."

"You're probably right, dear." Her mom agreed, opening the door for her daughter. The pair stepped out into the blowing cold winter wind of New Jersey and headed towards the rental car.

The ride home was uneventful and was filled with laughter and jokes as the two women enjoyed their time with each other. All too soon, they had pulled into a parking space directly outside the apartment building and were staring up at the window that belonged to Greg and Allison's condo.

"Do you think they're still alive?" The younger of the pair stage-whispered to the older.

"I certainly hope so." The older grinned at the younger. "I hate to deal with blood."

"Good thing I'm a doctor then." Allison said wryly. "Well, let's go see the damage."

Unfortunately, nothing could have prepared them for the scene they were about to walk in on.

Unlocking the door, Allison stepped inside the door and halted in her tracks, staring in disbelief at her father and fiancé. Star Wars music was blasting from Greg's iPod and the two men were currently engaged in a drunken version of a lightsaber battle using their respective canes.

At the sound of the door closing behind the two women, the two men froze in mid-swing and slowly turned their faces to their women. The room was dead silent save for the swelling of the intense music. The four adults stared at each other, the men wondering when their women had returned and the women wondering what had happened to their men.

The agonizing silence dragged on for what seemed like an eternity before Allison broke it by snorting, she was trying so hard to keep the laughter in. This set of her mom and soon the whole room was filled with the light, girlish laughter of the two women.

The two men slowly brought down their canes and tried to appear as manly as they could, though with as much as the two men had drunk, it was a futile attempt.

"What…the hell…was that?" Allison managed between laughs, holding her hurting side as she tried to contain the laughter but failing miserably.

"Nothing." House tried to act nonchalant.

Her dad joined in. "You imagined the whole thing. It was just a hallucination."

"I think I should check into that. Allie, did you hit your head?" House asked with exaggerated concern.

She backed away from her advancing fiancé, laughing as she did so. "No, but I think you did. Who are you and what have you done with Greg?"

"And Bill." Kaeyla chimed in, traces of laughter still laced throughout her words. "My god, how much did you two drink?"

"Not as much as you think we did." Bill admitted, wincing slightly. "We just thought…"

"Nothing. We drank so much we could open up a bar and have leftovers at the end of the night." House interrupted, wanting to keep his tough-guy image firmly intact.

"Right." Both women said in unison, unconvinced.

"Fine. You caught us. We were having fun." House finally admitted sarcastically, with a hint of truth in his words.

"That's what you get for leaving us alone. Then you had to ruin our fun." Bill said accusingly. "Just when I was winning, too…"

"Nuh, uh!" House protested with a mocking glare. "I was so going to be the winner. No one can match the speed of Super House!"

"Super Cripple, you mean." Bill snorted tauntingly.

"Oh, you are so on, old man!" House retorted and the two men were at it again, the sound of wood against metal clanging throughout the room.

The two women rolled their eyes and moved into the kitchen to prepare supper to the sounds of shouts, yells, and bangs from their two Jedi knight wannabes.

xXx

"Take it all the way!" Bill shouted at the TV screen. "Run it in, run it in!" He leaned forward in anticipation and threw a handful of popcorn at the screen when the running back failed to make a touchdown.

"Football is so overrated." House muttered as he took a drink of scotch and wrinkled his nose at another shout from the older man sitting next to him. "Allie, save me from this nutcase!"

"That 'nutcase' is my father, and your future father-in-law!" Allison appeared in the doorway of the kitchen with her hands planted firmly on her hips, a glare fixed on her face. "If you don't want to watch football with Dad, you can come and help Mom and me with the dishes."

"Ewww." He made a face and slumped down even further, pouting. After another two minutes of Bill shouting at the football players, House groaned and stood up, making his escape into the kitchen. "I'm here, do with me what you will." He announced much to the surprise of the women inside.

Kaeyla grinned and slowly moved towards the entrance. "I'm going to go watch football."

"Great, you can take my spot." House said brightly before his shoulders slumped once more. "This is the lesser of the two evils."

"You can rinse." Allison said finally, a small grin on her lips. "Unless you want to wash?"

"I'll rinse, thanks." He smirked and rolled up his sleeves. "So what are you going to give me in return for washing the dishes?"

"First of all, you're rinsing, not washing. Secondly, you don't have to be here. So your reward is not having to watch football with Dad." She said dryly. "Don't worry, your manly reputation is safe with me. I won't tell anyone you don't like football."

"I like football!" He protested, stacking a dish in the drainer. "I just don't like watching it with a fanatic who's screaming at every player to 'move, move, move!'"

"Greg, the point is to get the soap _off_ of the dish." She said, pointing to the still soapy plate sitting in the drainer.

He made a face at her and dutifully rinsed the plate correctly. "There, happy?"

"Yes, very happy, thank you." She grinned at his grumpy look and stood on tiptoe to kiss his cheek.

He glanced down at her. "What was that for?"

"Just because." She said simply, a small smile tweaking her lips.

They shared a long look before House quirked up a corner of his mouth and bent his head down to capture her lips with his. They stood like that, gently kissing, for a long moment, the dishes in their respective hands dripping into the sink as they enjoyed the other's touch.

A subtle cough wrenched the two apart and they looked sheepishly back at Kaeyla who had come back in to tell them that the countdown was going to start in about a minute.

"Save it for midnight." She said with a grin. "I think you two can hold it off for another minute or two." With another pointed look at her daughter and future son-in-law, she returned to the living room where the excited sounds of Times Square could be heard from the TV.

"I suppose she's right." House muttered sullenly, wanting nothing more than to stand where they were, lips caressing and hands wandering in an arousing and sexifying way.

"Mom's usually are." Allison agreed reluctantly. She kissed his lips once more before sliding her hand into his and tugging gently. "C'mon, Mom's waiting for us."

"Eh." House grumbled. "Can we just skip to the New Year's sex?"

"Greg!" She hissed. "Not where my parent's can hear you!"

"We'll be quiet!" He protested with a leering grin.

"We'll see." She promised. "If you promise to behave the rest of the night."

"That'll be easy." He grinned. "There's only 30 seconds left of 2007."

"You're incorrigible."

"And that's why you love me."

Her only answer was a huge grin.

They barely heard the loud countdown from 10. When the loud whistles, catcalls, and cheers erupted from the crowd, they were instantly joined at the lips, his hands on her waist holding her tightly against his tightening groin, her hands clutching his t-shirt as her arousal was heightened at the feel of his.

Bill and Kaeyla shared a kiss of their own before sharing a grin at the sight of their daughter tugging a very unresisting Greg House to their bedroom. The older pair slowly moved to the guest room to continue their own celebration.

xXx

AN: Don't worry we're getting back to the hospital again next chapter. I need something medical to write about. I can't believe that I got distracted from that! After all my decisiveness to make this not too dramatic, that's exactly where it's headed. Sheesh…am I pathetic or what?


	31. Hanging By a Thread

Story Title: Touch of Destiny

Chapter 31: Hanging by a Thread

Chapter summery: House's team faces their first case of the New Year.

xXx

Disclaimer: Not mine, unless you don't recognize a character. Then it is mine, and you shouldn't take it. Such as….Dotty Myers, Kate Johnston, Mark Fredrick, and all the Cameron siblings are all mine.

AN: Sarcasm! Gruff, tough, and sarcastic House! A medical case that I'm making up myself! No drama! Well…no _serious_ drama. Bah. Just read.

This chapter is about a week or so into the New Year. Yay for 2008!

xXx

"Hello my little ducklings! We have a…" House halted in his tracks and frowned at the empty department. "…case. Where is my team?" He asked the empty room as if it could answer him.

He wrinkled his nose when he received no answer. "The trouble with being punctual is that nobody's there to appreciate it. Oh well, on to business. Sick coma lady who is having problems, differential diagnosis, people." He gave his knee a slight smack and shook his head melodramatically. "Oh, that's right; no one is here to do a differential!" He picked up his Magic 8 ball and smiled a mocking, loving smirk at it. "No one but you, that is." He shook his head slightly and squeezed his eyes shut tightly. "Will my patient die today?" He shook the little black ball violently and turned it over before peaking one eye open to read the little triangle. He frowned at the plastic ball. "'Try Again.' Some help you are."

"House, are you talking to yourself again?" Wilson's voice sounded at the door.

"No, I'm obviously talking to my team. They've all somehow received the super power to render themselves invisible." He snapped sarcastically, shoving the Magic 8 ball back onto the shelf. "What do you think? Why aren't they here yet?"

"Could it be that you are actually early for once?"

"I'm not early. They're late."

"House, it's 8:00. Deny it all you want, but you're early." He pulled a thoughtful look and eyed his friend suspiciously. "Is Cameron actually having a positive effect on you?" When House rolled his eyes, Wilson's eyes grew wide and he pointed his finger at his friend. "She is! I knew it!"

House groaned and turned slightly away, his head tilting up to look at the ceiling with a wince. "Oh, stop it with the smugness."

Wilson pulled an exasperated sarcastic look. "Well, it was either that or highlighting my hair. Smugness_ is_ easier to maintain."

"That's my line." House shot a glare in the direction of the oncologist.

"And I'm borrowing it." Wilson rolled his eyes and shook his head. "And unlike what you usually borrow from me, it won't break your budget."

House pursed his lips slightly, his eyes at a slit, drawing his face into another wince. "Nope, I will never use that line again. You've tainted it with your stench of neediness."

House received another eye roll from Wilson and a finger shaken at him as his oncologist friend started on yet another lecture.

Before Wilson could get too far into a rant that House neither cared about nor would remember five minutes later, he pointed off behind Wilson. "Oh, what's that?"

Wilson turned around to see what House was looking at and when he turned around, his friend was gone. "Typical." Wilson muttered as he ambled out of the Diagnostics Department towards his own office, completely oblivious to the fact that House hadn't made it very far down the hall the opposite way.

House grinned to himself at his cleverness and his escape from another completely pointless talk with Wilson and settled down at his desk to take a nap. If it really were only 8, his ducklings would be in within a half-an-hour and he wasn't about to waste that half hour with work.

xXx

House was startled awake when he heard a loud slam as Foreman, Mark and Kate dropped their bags and what-not onto the glass table. With a snarl of annoyance, he shook his head slightly to rid his mind of sleep haze, pulled himself to his feet, and stealthily opened the door between the diagnostics room and his office.

"Hello, ducklings. Get lost on the way to the pond?"

Kate nearly shrieked as she jumped in surprise to hear her boss at 8:30 in the morning. "Dr. House! What are you doing here?"

House jerked slightly as he pulled a mock thoughtful expression. "Amazingly enough…I actually work here. I have a degree and everything." He pulled his tag out of his pocket and showed it to her. "It says I'm an MD. Means I'm an actual doctor. Or do you think that it's a forgery?"

Mark snorted as he tried to keep the laughter in and Foreman simple rolled his eyes, accustomed to his boss's snide remarks.

"I'd say he's here because Allison came in early." Foreman said wryly, scanning the patient folder sitting on the glass table.

"You're deduction reasoning's are astounding, my dear Watson."

"So I'm Watson now?" Foreman asked. "I would think that Wilson would hold that role."

"No, Wilson is 'Super Jimmy, the Boy Wonder Oncologist.' Where _have_ you been?"

"Not in your world, apparently. What's this about a coma patient?"

"She is our new patient." House turned to the whiteboard. "Differential diagnosis. What is wrong with her?"

"Let's see." Foreman mused sarcastically. "She's in a coma, so I'd say…she's comatose?"

"Ha. You're just full of these deductive, _obvious_ statements today, aren't you?" House snorted, falling silent as he wrote the symptoms on the board. "A snail can sleep for three years." He stated randomly before musing out loud. "Do you think our patient is a snail?"

"Our patient is in a _coma,_ House." Foreman said insistently, sounding increasingly bored as he continued to speak. "Why are we doing this again? Coma patient equals boring diagnosis. Did Cuddy bribe you?"

"If I'm taking this case, then it _obviously_ isn't boring. And Cuddy does not _bribe_ me. I am perfectly capable of taking a case on my own agenda." House rolled his eyes in annoyance and bounced his cane off of the floor absentmindedly.

"What's so special about this case if Cuddy didn't either coerce or con you into taking it?" Kate asked, rubbing at her eyes in an effort to wipe the tiredness from them.

"She's got ulcers."

"Who?" Foreman smirked sardonically. "Cuddy? My diagnosis is that she needs a vacation from you. Case solved. Can we go home now?"

"Aren't you the funny one this morning?" House rolled his eyes again and put his annoyed face on. "The _patient_ has ulcers."

"Ulcers? As in stomach ulcers?" Mark cut in, a confused expression etched onto his face as he reached out to examine the file.

"The one and the same. Differential diagnosis people, _again_. Why would a comatose patient get stomach ulcers?"

"Maybe she's not actually in a coma." Kate suggested hesitantly.

"Riiiiight." House scoffed with a small, mocking smile. "She's just _faking_ the coma to get attention and when no one is looking she's drinking battery acid so she'll get even _more_ attention. Next!"

"She's obviously in pain if she has ulcers." Mark mused. "Maybe…"

"How can you tell if she's in pain?" House interrupted derisively. "She's in a _coma_ in case you've forgotten. She can't tell us where it hurts."

Mark patiently continued. "All I'm saying is is that we should find out where else she might be feeling pain. It could be connected."

House fixed his customary 'I'm not sure how to take your idea' stare on Mark before nodding once. "Great. Go see if you can figure out where the lady is in pain. When you find nothing, or even something, come get me. I'll be in the office doing 'department head' business."

The three stood up and Kate frowned as she did so. "How can we find out what hurts if she's in a coma?"

"Ask Dr. Smarty Pants over there. It was his idea." House snorted as if it were obvious that it wasn't his job to answer another pointless question and pointed his cane at Mark who grinned broadly.

"MRI." He said simply before following Foreman out of the room.

"That was helpful!" House yelled as they left Kate behind looking very confused. "Real specific. Okay, Dr. Blondie, here's how it works. You go and follow those two male doctors and ask lots of questions that you _should_ have asked in med-school when you were an intern. They'll answer those questions and hopefully, they'll answer them better than the doctors did when you _were_ a med student because I'm going to assume that you _did_ ask those questions and the doctors were complete idiots. Now go and do my bidding, young Jedi." He pointed at the door with his cane and walked into his office, effectively ending the conversation.

xXx

"Have you made a New Years resolution yet?" Wilson was sitting relaxed on House's green chair. "It _is_ January, you know."

House rolled his eyes. "The name for the month of January comes from the Roman deity Janus, god of gates and doorways, patron of endings and beginnings. Resolutions are created and made known to the world. People want to lose weight, learn a new hobby, practice their curtsey, rescue puppies from thunderstorms, that sort of thing." He snorted.

"You know, it wouldn't kill you to actually make a resolution." Wilson shook his finger at his friend in his customary 'I'm telling you this for your own good' way.

"You mean it wouldn't hurt me to be nicer to you." House scoffed. "Here's my resolution. Torment Cuddy more this year."

"House…" Wilson rolled his eyes and grinned slightly. "That would be your resolution."

"I suppose it _wouldn't_ hurt me to make a resolution." House mused. He paused, causing Wilson to lean forward, and gave a dramatic sigh as if he was going to make some revolutionary revolution. "I'm going to resolve not to make a resolution."

"House!"

"Seriously! Unless you _really _want me to make one. Hmmm. I resolve to make yours and Cuddy's lives complete hell since you seem to enjoy making mine so." House smirked evilly.

"You are so…I can't believe…you're just…you need a therapist!" Wilson shouted in aggravation before turning on his heel and marching out of Diagnostics, muttering to himself as he left about how House will never change.

"Twice in one morning. I am _good_." He grinned at Wilson's annoyed retreating back and leaned back in his chair. His cell phone beeped, alerting him to a new text message from Allison. Reading it, he groaned before standing up. "Wedding plans. Bah humbug." He grumbled to an empty room as he made his agonizingly slow way towards the immunology department.

xXx

"I am here, wife-to-be. Put me to work." House announced loudly as he burst into Allison's office. He halted in his tracks when he saw her gesturing as she spoke on the phone her back to the door, completely oblivious to his presence. A wicked grin crossed his face as a purely evil plan flashed through his mind's eye.

He quickly hid just outside her office door, listening to the one-sided conversation, waiting for the perfect moment. His ears perked up when he heard his name enter in to the conversation.

"His name is Greg, not that it matters to you."

She sounded annoyed at whoever she was talking to and he was curious as to who could make her that annoyed with a simple phone conversation.

"No, you can't meet him. You'll probably try to drive a stake through his heart."

_Ooh, she used sarcasm! Now I'm _really_ curious._

"Of course he's not a vampire! They don't even exist. Oh wait, I forgot who I was talking to. My apologies Jack."

_Jack? Who the hell is Jack?_

"Jack, they're just your paranoid conspiracy theories. Why don't you go and bother your own coworkers with them and get me Angela?"

_Who is Jack? Tell me!_

"Or better yet, go play with your slime _after_ you get me Angela." She was sounding desperate now.

_Slime? What the hell?_

"Go race your bugs and let me talk to Angela!" She was pleading with the mystery man now and House fought back a chuckle.

_Who races bugs? Allie, who the heck are you talking to?_

"Okay Jack, I'm going to hang up on you now. Tell Angela I called and that it's fairly important." The sound of the receiver slamming down onto the box startled him with its ferocity and he peeked around the corner of the door, fully expecting his fiancé to have her head in her hands. Instead, she met his curious glance with a knowing smirk.

"You can come in now, Greg." Allison sounded amused and he pouted as he took a seat.

"How'd you know I was there?"

She gave him an incredulous look. "You came in and announced to me to put you to work. Just because I didn't acknowledge your presence doesn't mean I didn't hear you."

"Hmph. Ruin my plans why don't you." House pouted even harder and crossed his arms with a scowl. "So, who were you talking to?"

"Jack Hodgens. You don't know him."

"But you do." House stated matter-of-factly, trying to quell his curiosity as to the identity of the mysterious man.

"Really?" She faked a surprised tone. "So that would explain why I was talking to him. Actually, I really think that you two would get along quite well."

"Who is he?"

"He's my sister-in-law's best friend's cousin's boyfriend."

House adopted a blank look. "Huh?" He finally managed.

Allison rolled her eyes. "My sister-in-law, Sarah, her best friend's cousin's name is Angela and she is dating, married, something like that to a guy named Jack. He works in DC at the Jeffersonian with what he refers to as slime and bugs in the Anthropology department. I'm trying to get a hold of my brother, who is somewhere in Central America, through Angela because I can't reach Sarah's best friend. Instead, I got Jack, who is a royal pain in the ass sometimes with all his conspiracies and huge words that no one knows but him and the other 'squints' as the FBI so lovingly refer to them as."

The blank look was still evident on House's face and she sighed. "Never mind. On to business. We need a date."

"Everyday is a date. Today is Monday, January 7, 2008." House feigned confusion to her comment and refrained from grinning at her exasperated sigh. "How about tomorrow?"

"Greg!"

"Okay, okay, fine. I don't care. You pick a date."

"April 20. It's a Sunday." She said quickly, opening her calendar to the correct month and pointing to the day. "So far, it's the only day that my entire family can come. I just have to find out if Mark and Sarah can come up that day. If they can, then that is the perfect day for us."

"That was quick." House teased. "How many years have you had this planned?"

"What, the date? Since just before I called Angela. Why?"

He shook his head. "You missed it. Never mind."

She gave him a confused look before shrugging. "So how does that sound to you?"

"April 20th? Fine by me. Though I'm all for the running away to Las Vegas and eloping scenario."

"Not happening, Greg. I have too many family members who would absolutely kill me if I did that."

"Is this mysterious cousin of the friend of the sister-in-law coming with her boyfriend?" He asked, his head tilted slightly in curiosity.

She shrugged. "I don't know. I'm not particularly close to them. The only reason that I even know them is because they are my main way of contacting Mark and Sarah. Why? Do you want them to come?"

"Don't you go placing this on me." He warned. "You know I don't like huge crowds, especially if I don't know the people in that crowd."

"Fair enough." She said with a hidden grin. "Though they probably will come since they know Sarah so well, not to mention that Angela is a die-hard romantic. And if they come, the rest of the gang would probably come too."

"The rest of the gang? What gang?"

"Not a literal gang, Greg. Just the people Angela and Jack work with."

He wrinkled his nose. "Just how many people are going to be at our wedding?"

Allison closed her eyes as she mentally tried to calculate the number. "Rough estimate? Probably around 200 people are going to want to be there, maybe more given how many people have placed bets on us since I started working for you, how large my family is, and how many friends I have that insist on being there."

"Oh hell no!" House's eyes grew wide with horror and shock. "We're eloping. That's final."

"Stop being a baby." She rolled her eyes again. "You will survive. There is no way I can prevent a wedding of these proportions. Believe me; I've gone through every possible scenario including getting married in Russia. Everyone would still come, and then make me front the airline tickets."

"Hmph." House pouted again. "The things you talk me into."

She grinned at him. "You mean the things you allow me to talk you into."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah." He griped playfully as he reached out and hauled her out of her chair and into his arms. "It's all you."

"Damn straight." She smirked and rested her cheek on his chest. "God, this is going to be a hectic four months."

"Yup. Better get to work, woman." He pushed her playfully away from him before pulling her back to him and kissing her lightly. He felt her smile against his lips and allowed an answering smile before deepening the kiss. The vibrating of his pager jolted them both back into the real world. With a growl, he yanked his pager off his belt and scowled at it. "My minions call. I must prevent them from burning down this hell we all call work."

"Go and save the world." She said with a smile, settling herself down at her desk once more as he sauntered out of the room.

"One more thing." House poked his head back in and she looked up at him expectantly. "Why not just have all those 200 people at the reception and family and close friends at the actual ceremony?"

She frowned slightly as she mulled over the idea. She shrugged. "I didn't think about that." She grinned. "We'll talk later."

"Okay. Toodle-loo!" He waggled his fingers at her and disappeared once more.

"Toodle-loo indeed." She shook her head lovingly and continued filling out paperwork.

xXx

"MRI revealed nothing." Mark announced as House stalked into the room. He held out the results to his boss who snatched them and scanned the file quickly.

"You mean it didn't reveal what you were looking for." He snarked matter-of-factly. "MRI's always reveal something. Usually, it's a map of the human body with little 'X's' marking what's wrong." He scanned the printouts again with an intense look of concentration before letting out an agonized sigh. "Of course, you're not going to see what's wrong with her with a simple MRI. Take a biopsy of her stomach. When that comes back, find me."

"Already did." Foreman cut in. He grinned at House's look of shock. "What? I've worked for you for four years. I think I can kind of predict the course of action you're going to take."

House just made a face a Foreman and held his hand out, silently asking for the results.

"The results aren't done yet." Kate spoke up hesitantly.

House glared at her. "Then why the hell aren't you down there waiting for them?"

She frowned slightly. "Because the lab techs are more than capable…"

"The lab techs are idiots." House interrupted sharply. "Then again, so are you. Fredrick, go wait for the results. Johnston, go do my clinic hours. You'll be lucky if I let you out of there to help with a case again. Foreman…you go and wash my car."

Foreman let out a half laugh of disbelief. "No. I will, however, go scope out her intestines since you have yet to tell any of us to do so."

"Great!" House said brightly, pleased of how well he had his little minions trained. "Now go and do my bidding." He bluntly ignored Kate who was trying to protest against what House had said about her and disappeared into his office.

It was a very ticked off Kate who set her jaw and rapidly made her way down to Cuddy's office. She was bound and determined not to let her boss ruin her chance of becoming a good doctor.

xXx

"Biopsy revealed…"

House interrupted Foreman with a wave of his hand. "No, don't tell me, I want to guess." He scrunched up his face in thought. "H. pylori."

"Yeah." Foreman sounded surprised. "But how…?"

"Because I'm psychic." House said snarkily. "Because she has ulcers. Of _course_ she's going to have h. pylori." He rolled his eyes and continued. "Her stomach simply isn't secreting enough mucus. Give her an IV with barium then x-ray her. If I'm right, her stomach will light up like a Christmas tree."

"And if you're wrong?" Mark asked.

House's lips curved in the hint of a smile, thinking back to when Foreman had asked the same question at the beginning of his fellowship. He shrugged nonchalantly. "Then we've learned something else." He gave a chin up motion towards the door. "Go. Come back when you have results."

The three fellows simultaneously stood and headed towards the door. "Johnston." He waited until Kate turned around. "Off to the clinic with you."

Kate wordlessly moved out the door, her shoulders slumped in discouragement. Foreman paused at the door and turned to House as the other two disappeared out the door. "House."

The man in question looked up from where he was focusing on his yo-yo. "Hmm?"

Foreman let out a sigh. "I think you need to let up a bit on Dr. Johnston."

"Why?" House snorted indignantly. "She's an idiot."

"Yeah, she is." Foreman agreed. "But she has potential."

"What are you now, my conscience?" House snapped, shoving the yo-yo in his pocket and glaring at the black doctor. "Sorry, that position has already been forcefully taken by Wilson."

Foreman shrugged. "Just saying." He paused a moment longer before he too disappeared down the hall.

House was muttering to himself as he stalked into his office. Some days he really hated his job.

xXx

"You were right." Mark announced as the three barreled into the department's diagnostics room, waving the x-ray's in the air. "She lit up like the fourth of July."

A pleased smirk graced House's features and he nodded briskly. "Great!"

"I don't get it." Kate said with a frown. "How does a woman in a coma get ulcers when she doesn't eat solid food?"

"Oh, goodie. Teacher time." House said sarcastically, rolling his eyes and wincing slightly. "Listen carefully, Johnston. I'm only going to explain this once."

"Yes sir." Kate said meekly, taking a seat at the table with the others.

House started speaking in a lecturer tone. "The stomach defends itself from hydrochloric acid and pepsin by creating a mucus coating that aids in two ways. First, the stomach produces bicarbonate to protect the tender organ from the bacterium called Helicobacter Pylori."

He took a breath here before continuing with his explanation. "Then, the body sends circulating blood to the stomach lining to aid in cell renewal and repair. If either of these functions are impaired, it leads to the formation of an ulcer. The stomach has to produce a new layer of mucus every two weeks to protect itself; otherwise it will end up digesting itself."

He paused again, this time for dramatics. "Hers isn't producing that wonderful layer of mucus. Hence the ulcers." He explained with an air of superiority. "I am so good. Put her on a Proton-pump inhibitor for a couple of days and set up injections with amoxicillin to be delivered three times a day and prilosec to be delivered twice a day for the next two weeks by whoever takes care of her. I'm done with her."

He grinned as the three left. Some days he really loved his job, usually the days he was proved right and his fellows wrong. His grin turned rapidly to a frown when the thought of his fellows crossed his mind. With a heavy, angry sigh, he made his way to Cuddy's office.

xXx

"I want Kate Johnston fired!"

Cuddy groaned as House burst into her office. "I think man invented language to satisfy his deep need to complain…" she muttered, glaring up at House as she continued with her jaw clenched as she tried to keep her annoyance in check. "…especially to their bosses when something doesn't go their way. It some how reminds me of a petulant child who has just lost their favorite toy."

House snorted at her accusations. "Language was actually created because grunting was too hard for women to understand."

"Be as that may, I really don't…"

"I want her gone!" House burst out, interrupting his boss with a wave of his cane. "She's useless, inept, a hopeless case!"

"And she thinks that you are too bossy." Cuddy interjected with her 'you're trying my patience, House' voice. "And rude. And obnoxious. Now what should I do about that, I'm wondering?"

"I'm not bossy. I just know what she should be doing. Oh, and did the fact that I'm her _boss_ ever enter into the equation?" House scoffed before lowering his chin and glaring at Cuddy. "I want her gone. She is completely incompetent as a doctor. How the hell she's made it this far in the medical world is beyond me."

"She came into my office not a half-hour ago nearly in tears. Do you want to know why?"

"No." House snapped, already knowing what she was going to say. "All I want to know is that she won't be here come tomorrow morning!"

"Because…" Cuddy continued with a pointed look in House's direction. "…not only has she been trying her hardest to do her best, she is constantly being compared to Dr. Cameron, and constantly being belittled and reprimanded for every tiny miniscule mistake she _might_ have made. House, you didn't even do that to Cameron, Chase, or Foreman! What is it with Dr. Johnston?"

"She annoys me. Let me fire her."

"House, I'm not allowing you to fire her simply because she annoys you." Cuddy said with an air of finality. "You'll have to do better than that."

"She's incompetent!" He protested loudly, an infuriated look on his face.

"Not good enough."

"Because I want to." House said finally, knowing he was fighting a losing battle.

"You can't fire her." Cuddy fixed a glare on his face and said darkly. "And that's final."

With a huff of annoyance, House stormed out of his boss's office, making sure that he slammed the door extra hard on his way out, muttering about how evil dragon's shouldn't be allowed to become Deans of Medicine and that he was going to get back at her someday, somehow.

xXx

"Hey!" House jabbed his sleeping friend in the side with his cane. "Wake up, Wilson!"

"Huh? Wha?" Wilson sat up, startled at both the poking and the loud voice of House. When he caught sight of House, he rolled his eyes. "What do you want?"

"I'm bored." House sat back, feigning innocence.

"Then go and play with your patient. I'm sure you haven't done enough painful, pointless tests on her to satisfy your insanity."

"She's gone. Fixed by my wonderful team."

"Then go do your clinic hours. I'm sleeping."

"One, I don't _do_ clinic. Two…well…you shouldn't be sleeping in the middle of the day."

"Like you should talk. House, what do you need?"

"Nothing."

"You really don't need anything?"

"Nope. Just giving you your hourly dose of me."

"I'm going back to sleep and fervently hoping that you were just a nightmare." The previously sleeping man laid his head back down, completely unaware of the pile of cloth sitting on his desk.

House sighed, unhappy with the lack of a reaction from his friend, and headed back to his own office, disappointed, bored, and still annoyed from his short conversation with Cuddy.

A few minutes past before Wilson stirred again, his hand brushing something soft. With a frown, he lifted his head and stared at the colorful pile of cloth, his mouth slowly forming a silent shriek as the identity of the cloth registered in his sleep-riddled mind. Without hesitation, he stormed into the diagnostics department, causing Kate, Foreman, and Mark to look up in confusion. House tried to hide behind Foreman and Wilson's eyes were automatically drawn to the movement.

"What the hell happened to my tie?!" Wilson finally managed, holding up the scraps of what was left of the horrid thing.

House managed to adopt a shocked look as he peeked out from behind the black neurologist. "Oh no! Did a group of obsessive compulsive goats shred your non-aesthetically pleasing scrap of cloth that dangles around your neck?"

Wilson was still in shock and his hands were shaking violently as he visibly tried to restrain himself from exploding, settling instead for shrieking at the top of his voice. "I'm going to strangle you!"

"With what?" House asked innocently. "The scraps of your tie?"

"My bare hands!" Wilson glared at him through sleep-riddled eyes and, with a speed that shocked even himself, dropped the scraps and launched himself at House.

House let out a very unmanly shriek and dashed as well as he could out the door, with the very angry oncologist close on his heels.

It was a comical sight. The gruff, sarcastic Dr. House was gleefully shouting as he skip-ran as fast as he could away from a scowling Dr. Wilson who was easily closing the gap between the two of them, his button up shirt still unbuttoned, revealing the white t-shirt underneath.

Just as Wilson was catching up to him, House managed to perform a move that would have had a criminal running from the police proud and ducked down the next hall, laughing gleefully as he successfully escaped Wilson…for now. Wilson had recovered quickly and was now turning down the hallway where the elevators resided.

Cuddy stepped out of the elevator only to be greeted with a sight that made her freeze in her tracks. House dashed by her laughing hysterically and Wilson following close behind with death threats and promises of harm to the crippled man he was chasing.

"The tie was ugly!" House was defending his actions.

"It was my tie!" Wilson bellowed back, reaching out to snag his friend only to find he was grabbing air as House made a move worthy of being on the football field.

"But it was hideous!"

"Lisa bought it for me!"

"All the more reason it should _burn_! I did it a favor by simply chopping it up!" He chortled, dodging Wilson once again, setting his sights on the elevator, not noticing Cuddy standing still in shock.

"Oh ho, no you don't!" Wilson caught his friend's line of thought and put on an extra burst of speed to try and halt the fleeing doctor's escape.

House, however, saw Cuddy at the last moment and managed to come to an abrupt halt a mere 6 inches away from his boss, a horrified look frozen on his face. Wilson's eyes widened in realization before trying to slow down and stop before the inevitable collision.

It was to no avail. The three normally dignified, well _two_ dignified one childish, doctors all ended up in a heap of tangled limbs and emitting groans of pain.

"Well, this is new."

An amused voice sounded from next to the pile of humans and the one face who could look up did so. "Hello, Dr. Cameron. Having a nice day?" Wilson asked weekly, trying to free himself from under House, elbowing Cuddy in the gut as he did so, eliciting a sharp groan of pain from the woman. "Sorry, Lisa." He muttered. "House, move!"

"I can't." Came the agonized groan. "I think I landed on my leg. Or, rather, _you_ did! How the hell did you get beneath me if you _landed_ on me?"

"I don't know!" Wilson moaned. "Get up!"

"This is your fault!" House snapped, struggling and failing to move to a standing position.

"Like hell it is!" Wilson shrieked. "You're the one who cut up my tie!"

"It was ugly!"

"It was my tie!"

"Shut up!" Cuddy shrieked as well as she could from her spot underneath the two men. "Can someone _please_ move before this clipboard becomes a permanent extension of my body?"

"One, _Lisa_, I can't move." House snarled. "Two, I'm still mad at you. So no, I'm going to stay here just to piss you off."

"Gregory House, if you don't move your ass now, there are going to be…"

"I would if I could." House interrupted her, annoyed. "Do you really think that I _want_ to be lying on top of you and Wilson?"

"Greg, if you can't move, let me help you." Allison grabbed his hands and tugged on him, helping him to a standing position before reaching down and yanking on Wilson's arm to pull him up. Once the two men were standing somewhat firmly on their own feet, she helped Cuddy up carefully, helping her keep a sense of dignity in light of the incredibly tight skirt the older woman was wearing. "What was that all about?" Allison asked once the three were standing once more. "I thought you three would be smart enough not to have a public three-way."

"It wasn't a three-way." House protested as he took three pills. "It was an orgy. Wanna join in?" He leered at her and she rolled her eyes, a small smile curving her lips upward.

"He cut up my tie!" Wilson cut in angrily, shooting a glare at the other male doctor.

"It was ugly." He shot back.

"It was mine!" Wilson's voice was loud and strained.

"Still ugly…!" Came the singsong reply.

"Shut up!" Cuddy screeched again. "I don't care what happened. All I care about is that two of the best and most respected doctors of this hospital were dashing about as if it where the school playground. You are both grounded to the clinic for a week!"

"What?" Wilson protested, pointing at House. "_He_ started it!"

"Nuh uh!" House taunted mockingly, pointing back. "_He_ did!"

"I don't care who started it!" Cuddy interrupted before another argument could start. "You both are in trouble. Get your asses down to the clinic, now." The clicking of her heels faded as she stormed down the hall.

"You cut up his tie?" Allison turned to Greg, her tone amused. "Which one?"

"Yes, side with him." Wilson threw up his hands in aggravation. "I can't win anymore."

"The purple one with the green stripes and orange spots."

She shuddered visibly. "Thank god you destroyed it. No offence, Wilson, but it was ugly."

"Lisa bought it for me!"

"No, someone who you _thought _was Lisa gave it to you. Did she actually hand it to you?" Allison asked tiredly.

"Well, no." He paused before frowning in thought. "Then who gave it to me?" His eyes flew to House who was trying to hide inconspicuously behind a fake potted plant. "You gave me a tie so you could cut it up and therefore _forcing_ me to _chase_ you around the hospital to amuse yourself?" When House didn't meet his gaze with a guilty look in his eyes, Wilson visibly bristled before starting off running after him again. "I'm going to kill you!"

Letting out another shriek, House took off running, the chase beginning again. Allison just rolled her eyes and continued towards her office. _Boys will be boys._ She thought to herself as she settled herself down at her desk to finish up the rest of the paperwork for her last patient.

xXx

AN: What do ya'll want from this story? Let me know in a review! I would say that I'm not above begging…but I am. I'll just settle for fixing my death glare on all of you. /waits/ Well?

Refer to the very end of chapter 28 for a refresher on the Cameron Siblings.

Oh…and Bone's isn't mine. But I love the show! Anyone else like Bones? I do.

Eh, don't mind me. I'm just insane.

Just drop a line so I know you're actually reading this. Anything at all. Really. You can write about how your dog just suddenly keeled over dramatically with a paw over his heart and started quoting Shakespeare. Actually…that'd be pretty radical, man. Tell me funny jokes, stories, quotes from random movies, how your day went, ANYTHING. A simple smiley face will do.

Shoot. That sounded a lot like begging…didn't it…? Damn.

Ciao!


	32. AUTHORS NOTE

So...I deleted this chapter and am posting it as a one-shot. It didn't really fit the story...but it was funny by itself. So...yes. Sorry. This chapter will be replaced!

The Psycho Sour Skittle


	33. Tides of Time

House was starting to grow impatient

Story Title: Touch of Destiny

Chapter 32: Tides of Time

Chapter summery: Will the return of an unexpected person cause conflict in our favorite couple's relationship?

xXx

Disclaimer: Not mine, unless you don't recognize a character. Then it is mine, and you shouldn't take it. Such as….Dotty Myers, Kate Johnston, Mark Fredrick, and all the Cameron siblings are all mine.

AN: If it seems like I'm throwing in all sorts of drama into this story…you're right. I am. Bwahahaha!

xXx

Loud, annoying whistling told the world that House was enjoying his solitude in his office while listening to his iPod and reading the latest National Inquirer. Despite the fact that the door was shut and the blinds were closed, a knock at the door disturbed his rare moment of peace. "Unless you are Dr. Cameron, I don't…" His voice dropped off when the door opened and revealed Stacy Werner.

"Hi Greg." She said with a soft smile.

"Stacy." His voice had dropped in volume and pitch and he cleared his throat, annoyance mixed with sarcasm clearly evident. "What are you doing here? Is Marky-warky having more medical problems, or did you leave him lying in the dirt, unable to move, like you did to me all those years ago?" _Take control, Greg. Don't let her get to you. Focus on something else…like…Allie. And wedding plans. Oy vey…wedding plans._ He groaned inwardly at the thought of the impeding plans of his ominous wedding.

She sighed softly, sadly, and sat down. "Actually…" She said slowly. "He's filing for divorce."

This managed to shock House just enough to warrant an eyebrow raise. "Really? And why is that? Does he resent you because you can walk?" He said nastily, a sarcastic tone laced his words.

"Actually, he resents _you_!" Stacy snapped. "He knows _why_ I didn't go home that night and he can't accept that. I'm sure you remember." Her voice had risen enough so that she was now yelling. "The night of wild passion, the climb up Mount Gregory, as you so crudely put it."

House actually started to laugh, which wasn't a happy laugh. It was laughter of a more of a bitter, hateful sort. "And now you're here to get me back?" His own voice started to climb until he too was yelling. "Newsflash, Stacy. I…DON'T...WANT…YOU!"

"You always were a bad liar." Stacy snorted bitterly. "You will _always_ want me."

"Actually, he's not lying. And no, he doesn't want you."

House's head whipped up and Stacy spun on her heel towards the door where Allison stood, her arms crossed on her chest, her eyes flashing with an emotion Stacy couldn't quite put her finger on.

Stacy's eyes flew to House's face, expecting him to yell at the immunologist for intruding, and she was astounded to the change that had come over him. His face was softer…for lack of a better word…and his eyes actually shone with…dare she think it…love? She suddenly realized that the other woman had resumed speaking.

"He's over you Stacy, which, by the way, took weeks the second time you abruptly left. I know he told you to leave then, but that isn't the point. The point I am making is this: I don't know where the hell you get off trying to weasel your way back into his life when he is finally happy and…" She stopped when House coughed slightly and shook his head slightly. She gave a small sigh and smiled at him. "Sorry Greg. I'll see you at five. Don't forget, Lisa and James are coming over tonight for dinner." She smiled at him softly and made a swift exit.

The instant Allison was out of sight, the soft look was dropped from his face. Stacy was certain that he wasn't even aware of how his obvious attraction for the younger woman blared from every pore when she was around him. He didn't say anything; he just sat down at his desk and put his headphones on, effectively shutting the unwanted intruder out. Stacy sighed and closed the door quietly as she left, heading over to James Wilson's office.

The moment Stacy left, Greg paged Allison. A minute later, she poked her head in the door, taking in his calm form as he tossed his lacrosse ball up and caught it. "What's the emergency?"

"No emergency." He shook his head slightly and continued to toss his ball. "Come in." He jerked his head to the side as a gesture to enter. When she closed the door and sat down, he gave her a pointed look.

She gave him a confused look in return. "Why am I here if there's no emergency? I have patients, you know."

"Stacy." He said shortly, his eyebrows knitted together as if in deep thought.

There was a short pause and the look she threw him was of a questioning nature. "What about Stacy?"

"How do you feel about her?" He asked quietly, not liking the insecurity that colored his voice.

"She's not my favorite person." Allison admitted with a hint of a smile. "But I know that you're mine, Greg. I don't need to worry about her any more." She stood up and he followed, his intense eyes holding hers as he moved around the desk slowly, leaving his cane on the floor.

"You'd better believe I'm yours, baby." The corner of his mouth quirked up before he tipped up her chin and kissed her firmly and passionately. Her arms slipped loosely around his neck and he leaned on the edge of his desk, his arms tightly wrapped around her waist so that she stood between his knees. What had began as a gentle massaging of the lips turned into an intensely passionate duel of the tongues.

"Dr. House, the test results…OH MY GOD!" Kate shrieked and slammed the door shut, effectively halting the make-out session. Her voice could be heard faintly as she moaned loudly. "Why me? Why is it always me?"

House leaned his forehead on hers, both of them breathing heavily. He moved one hand up to stroke her cheek gently as he kissed the tip of her nose. She leaned into his touch and smiled softly at him. A slow answering smile crossed his own face and he placed a chaste kiss on her lips. "To be continued." He whispered, moving her back slightly so that he could move away from the desk to get his cane. "Dr. Bunglehead needed something, and I think that _you_ need to go back in _your_ office and do 'Department Head' business."

"Now that you mention it, my interns are probably on my computer watching all that porn you secretly downloaded onto it." Allison grinned at his surprised expression. "Yes, I found out about that. And yes, Cuddy knows it wasn't me." She opened the door, bowing slightly in a mocking fashion. "After you, Dr. House."

He smacked her butt lightly as he limped by. "As it should be, Dr. Cameron."

Their eyes met briefly, both pairs smoldering with unreleased passion, before they hurried off to their respective duties. It was only a few hours until they could go home. They could wait until then, right?

xXx

"You don't like me, do you?"

Allison looked up from finishing a patient's file to see Stacy Werner standing at her door with her hands crossed over her chest.

The immunologist averted her eyes back to her paperwork. "I never said that." She said in an almost absent tone, the scratching of the pen sounding loud in the quiet room.

"You didn't have to." Stacy shrugged before adding somewhat sarcastically. "It oozes out of you every time I come within 20 feet of you or Greg."

Allison gave a scoffing laugh, the pen stilling momentarily as she looked up at the lawyer. "First you're an expert on Greg's feelings and now you're an expert on mine?" She rolled her eyes and continued to sign her name on the papers in front of her.

Stacy smirked slightly the reaction she had extracted from the doctor and echoed Allison's words from before. "I never said that."

"Of course not." Allison snapped bitterly, the pen making a sharp clack as she smacked it onto the desk. "That would be too much of an assumption. You aren't _that_ bold. You simply returned to try and take back a man who already has told you to leave him alone." She let out an angry sigh and stood up, taking a step towards the lawyer, her eyes shooting daggers. "Stacy, it's not about 'us' and it's not about Greg. It's about you and your selfish need to get back into his life and_ ruin_ it now that _you're_ the one who is bitter and single and _he's_ the one who is happy and taken."

_D__r. Allison Cameron, delivery of one backbone confirmed._

Stacy was genuinely shocked. The sweet, kind Dr. Cameron had a nasty side, and it showed when defending 'her' Greg. She needed to smooth things over before they got too explosive. "I never said that I was coming back to _take_ him from you."

"Of course not. You didn't know that he was taken." She said almost kindly before her tone turned dark and angry. "Now that you know, back off and leave my fiancé alone." Her voice dropped and she moved in until she was mere inches from Stacy's face. "I'm glad we had this talk." She said lowly, a chilling smile gracing her normally gentle features. "Now go back to where you belong. Away from here." With that said she nodded slightly at the lawyer and departed from the room.

xXx

"This is so pointless." House muttered as he scanned yet another page of over-priced tuxes on yet another frilly wedding website. "Why can't I wear the suit I already own?" He clicked the back button and scanned the list Google had brought up. "Tuxes…tuxes…oh, here's one." He snickered as he clicked the link. "Medieval wedding attire. Chain mail and all." He squinted as he read the details. "Holy shit! That shirt weighs more than my car!"

"Talking to yourself again?"

"Go away, Jimmy." House sniped, clicking the back button once more.

"What are you looking for?"

"A white dress. I'm getting married, remember?" He snarked without looking up at Wilson who snorted. "I'm trying to find something lacy and strapless with a long slit up the side to show off my sexy leg."

"White symbolizes that you are a virgin. You haven't been one since you were…what….15?" He rolled his eyes and sat down in the hideous green chair, folding his hands across his stomach.

"I was 16, and what's it to you?" House muttered sullenly, giving up on tuxes.

"You're also not a woman." He continued on as if House hadn't spoken. "You hate the feel of lace because it is itchy, you would look horrible in a strapless top because of your furry chest, and you don't have sexy legs…you have a wooly forest. A knitter who spins yarn would love to shave your legs. With that said, I have officially debunked your retort."

"When have you checked out my legs?" House sounded incredulous. "I always suspected that you swung that way. Wait until I tell Cuddles." His tone turned conspiratorial and excited at the thought of informing his boss that her boyfriend was gay.

Wilson's eyes rolled skyward. "I love how you're ignoring my comments on the lace and strapless tops." He pointed his finger at his friend. "And don't even think about spreading another rumor about my sexuality."

An evil grin slowly spread across his face and he smirked at the oncologist.

"No. No, no, no." He sat forward, his eyes wide with horror. "Tell me you didn't, House."

"Did what?" His voice was innocent. "You mean did I just happen to let it slip to that chatty nurse in pediatrics that you _might_ be dancing on the other side of the street?"

"House!" Wilson's tone was agonized and his fists balled to rub at his eyes in frustration. Snickering brought his gaze back up to see House's jaw clenched as he tried to keep himself from howling in laughter. "You bastard!"

This time House's chortling couldn't be kept in and his laughter followed a very disgruntled Wilson as he fled down the hall to the sanctuary of his office.

His snickers slowly died off as he continued scrolling through wedding websites attempting to locate a tux that wouldn't make him look like James Bond in his retirement years.

"You, Greg House, are getting married."

House glanced up from his computer and peered over his reading glasses at Stacy who was standing in the doorway with her arms crossed firmly over her chest. "Yup." He replied shortly, turning his focus back on the screen in front of him, scratching out some notes with his pen.

"To Allison Cameron." She said slowly, thoughtfully.

He grunted in reply.

"I never thought I'd see the day when you'd decide to get married. You always said that marriage was an institution."

"So is Alcatraz." House snarked without looking back up at her, scrolling down the page of the website he was on.

"Greg!" Stacy was aghast. "You can't compare marriage to prison!"

"Why not?" He asked innocently, glancing up at her again. "You can't get out of prison…you can't get out of marriage…I don't really see the difference."

"You can't believe that." She said incredulously.

"Well… At least the prison warden won't max out your credit cards." He rolled his eyes. "Of course I believe that. At least, if it were anyone _other_ than Allison I was marrying. You, for instance."

"What about me?" She asked hesitantly, not sure she wanted to know what was going through his head.

"It's no wonder Mark wanted a divorce." He said cryptically before pointing towards the door. "The exit is behind you." He pointedly ignored her as he turned back to his computer, though he watched out of the corner of his eye to ensure that Stacy left. He gritted his teeth as a sharp pain rippled through his thigh. Pulling out his vicodin, he shook out two pills and shoved them into his mouth, dry-swallowing them.

xXx

"Greg, it's 5." Allison tapped lightly on the side of the wall to alert him to her presence, her computer bag slung over her shoulder. The sight that she came upon was a heart-wrenching one.

House was banging his head down on his fist which was propped up on the desk, his face contorted in agony.

"Oh my god, Greg. Are you okay?"

"Just peachy!" He snapped, holding back a shudder as a fresh wave of pain washed through his body.

She reached out towards him, her intention simply to help alleviate his pain.

He slapped her hands away. "Stop trying to fix me!" He bellowed angrily. "I don't see why you and Stacy don't get along! She broke me so you can fix me!"

"Greg, I'm not trying…"

"It's what you always do! It's like you can't resist! I'm not some kicked puppy that needs a hug. I'm in pain from a mistake that Stacy made. If it weren't for her, you wouldn't even want me. Stacy doesn't pity me, she doesn't coddle me. Why can't you learn from her?"

"Maybe because I'm not her! I'm not pitying you, Greg! I'm trying to love you!" She tried to remind herself that it was only the pain talking, that he really didn't mean what he was saying.

Sweat was starting to bead on his forehead. "You don't love me! You love the fact that I'm broken! I'm just something for you to fix." He hissed as the pain shot through his leg again and he pounded his fist on his knee.

"I thought we were over this. How many times do I have to tell you that I'm not trying to fix you?" Her voice was chocked full of tears.

"You'll go an eternity before you convince me with that lie!" House growled angrily, trying to ignore the pain he saw in her eyes by focusing on ignoring the pain shooting through his body.

"Are you saying that you don't trust me?" She asked incredulously.

"That's exactly what I'm saying!" He bellowed, his thigh clenching with another sharp pain.

The office fell into sudden silence at his comment, one that he was already regretting but too stubborn to take back.

"If you can't trust me, what's the point of me sticking around?" She asked softly, her voice thick with unshed tears.

The only response from House was the slight lift of his shoulders as he took a breath and exhaled loudly, seeming to ignore her as he focused on his own physical pain instead of trying to alleviate her emotional pain. He gritted his teeth and rocked slightly, hoping fervently that the pain would dissipate instantly, his mind whirling with random words and phrases from throughout the day as he tried to formulate a response to her question. When none came, he resigned himself for what he knew was going to be inevitable eventually in their relationship.

He could _hear_ her heart shattering into a million pieces as her breath hitched, the very sound of it wrenching his heart. "Don't bother coming home tonight, Greg." She whispered brokenly, the tears starting to pool in her eyes. "I'll be out of your life by tomorrow when you go back to your apartment tomorrow night. I assume you won't want to see me again so you'll appreciate knowing that I'll be gone by then."

Because he was facing away from her, she didn't see the tightening pained look that crossed his face when she said that she'd be out of his life for good. He didn't want that, he never wanted that, but his stubborn nature refused to stop her. Another sharp, stabbing pain caused him to flinch violently, nearly causing him to curl into himself, and he willed the pain to pass quickly. When it didn't, he figured that it was God's cruel way of punishing him for breaking the woman he loved more than life itself and that a bastard such as himself deserved to be castigated in such a vindictive way.

And when Stacy showed up at the door five minutes later, he knew that God was punishing him.

"Oh my god, Greg. Are you okay?" Stacy unknowingly repeated Allison's question which made House even more enraged.

"Get the hell out of here!" House reached for the closest object on his desk, which happened to be a pen, and hurled it in her general direction.

"What _happened_?" She insisted, moving closer.

He shot a glare at her, rubbing hard at his right thigh. "I'm in pain! Because of a decision you made for me!"

"No, what happened with Allison?" She ignored his cutting remark about what she had done all those years ago and began probing. "I saw her flee the hospital in tears."

The agony on House's face seemed only to intensify at her words. "I need scotch." He muttered, ignoring her question.

Stacy would not be swayed. "What the hell did you say to her?"

Pouring himself a glassful of the amber liquid, he took a long swig and tried to forget that the love of his life was currently moving herself out of his life.

"You broke her heart, didn't you?" The lawyer continued even though House said not a word. "She came in, you were in pain, she tried to help, and you blew up at her." She held up a finger as she listed each item. "You told her that you didn't trust her and she's now moving out. Am I right?"

He frowned deeply and stared at the glass, swirling the liquid inside. In his silence, Stacy knew that she had her answer.

"Oh, Greg."

"Cut it out with the sympathy card, Stacy." House snapped bitterly. "I don't need it."

"Greg…"

He interrupted her quickly. "Relationships are like shattered glass balls. Sometimes it's better to leave them broken than try to hurt yourself putting it back together." He slumped in his chair and took another long drink from his glass of scotch before toasting the air. "You taught me that, Stacy."

"Yes, but sometimes it's worth cutting yourself to put that relationship back together." Stacy said softly in a moment of humility. "Allison Cameron is worth it, Greg. Don't throw something this great away just because your past experience with me tells you that it will fail. She's not me."

The sound of shattering glass startled her as he hurled the empty shot glass at the wall, his blue eyes flashing bitterly. "Everyone tells me that she's not you! Do you all think that I don't know that! I wouldn't be engaged to her if she _was_ you! Or wouldn't have _been_ engaged to her. Now I'm a bitter, lonely old man once again thanks to you. Only this time, it wasn't _my_ life you destroyed. It was hers."

His voice hitched slightly as he swallowed hard, telling himself that it wasn't manly to cry. "You just had to come back again, didn't you? I was finally experiencing some form of happiness and you just had to waltz back into my life! Why can't you just stay where you belong? Away from me!"

"Don't you dare go blaming this on me, Greg House!" Stacy's eyes flashed in anger as she glared at her ex. "_I_ wasn't the one who told her that you didn't trust her. _I_ wasn't the one who didn't tell her that I didn't want her to leave, that it was just the pain talking. And_ I_ wasn't the one who was too damn stubborn to fucking apologize for being an _ass_!"

Her tone was adamant as she raised her voice once again, gesturing wildly as she spoke. "I've tried to make amends about your leg for _years_ and your response is to try and make every little thing that goes wrong in your life my fault and I'm sick of it!" Her chest was heaving as she tried to catch her breath and calm down. The volume of her voice lowered, but the tone was no less intense as she pointed a condemning finger at him. "This time it's you. All you. You are the one who pushed her away when all she was trying to do was show you that she cared."

His eyes continued to flash daggers at her, though his shoulders were beginning to droop under her tirade because he knew she was right. Damn it, she was _right!_ It was _his_ fault, _his_ and no one else's. He was the only person in this situation that he could place any amount of blame.

"The way I see it, you have two choices, Greg. Fight for her, or let her go. Envision all the places you go, all the things you do, take them all and take her out of the picture. Can you live like that? Can you live knowing that if you _don't_ go and humble yourself and apologize, that you will never see her again? That she _will_ eventually move on, despite how you've broken her?" She sighed heavily and sat down again, her shoulders slumping in defeat. "She really loves you, despite the fact that you are a complete bastard."

House seemed to mull over these words before abruptly standing up. He gave Stacy a long look before nodding once and striding out of his office. He had unfinished business that needed to be cleared up: immediately.

xXx

Allison threw her keys down on the counter and collapsed onto the couch, crumpling into a huddled mass of heart wrenching sobs. With all that had transgressed during the day, it was a wonder that she hadn't collapsed from emotional exhaustion earlier.

The clock behind her read 5:30. Once her tears had subsided, anger slowly seeped into her body before giving way to hopelessness. She needed to call Lisa to tell her that there was going to be a change of plans for the evening.

She made the phone call, and while Lisa was curious, Allison offered no clues to the reasons behind the cancellation of the dinner and soon she was seated back on the couch, huddled against the armrest, her heart heavy and hurting.

After sitting for a while, she clicked on the TV. Every station she switched to reminded her of House. The OC and the "L" Word were just a few of House's favorite shows on that night. She angrily turned the TV off, chucked the remote away from her, paying no attention to where it landed, and sulked on the couch, not wanting to start packing her stuff but knowing she had to if she was truly going to leave.

She finally stood up and padded into the bedroom to change into her pj's. A few minutes later, she was curled up on the couch with her journal and a pen, wrapped up in the afghan her mother had made for her during medical school. After writing inside a bit, she set the book down open-faced so she could access it again in a bit and lay back down on the couch, tears blinding her vision once again. She could pack in the morning. It wasn't like Greg was going to come home and stop her, the stubborn jackass.

She didn't hear the clock chime at 7:00, nor did she hear the frantic knocking on the door or the calling of her name two hours after that at 9.

xXx

House was starting to grow impatient, not to mention cold. The chilling wind was swirling around his body and his cane hand was starting to grow numb. Taking a vicodin, he rapped the door again with his cane with the same results. Nothing. With a growl of annoyance, he tried the door. Locked, just like he figured.

_That's it. I'm through being patient and waiting for permission to enter my own apartment!_

He produced his key, slowly opened the door, and poked his head inside the door. The room was lit by a single lamp that sat upon a small table beside the couch. "Allison?" He said quietly. Gathering his courage, he opened the door all the way and stepped inside. He quickly closed and dead bolted the door, locked the door knob, and looked around the room. A small grin spread across his face when his gaze fell upon her motionless form on the couch. Gimping his way over to her, he touched her shoulder. "Allie?" She didn't move, she just made a whimper in her sleep and kept on sleeping.

He took a seat in the chair next to the couch, content to watch her as the feeling came back to his hands and legs. He propped his chin on his hands, the cane resting solidly on the ground between his legs as he leaned forward and tipped his head slightly to study her slumbering figure. His gaze took in the maroon afghan she was wrapped in and the bare shoulder that peaked through the wrapping. Her hair was up in a messy bun and strands of hair fell about her face as she slept. One hand was nestled under her chin and her bare feet poked out from the end of the afghan. Apparently, the blanket wasn't quite long enough to cover her slightly curled form. House stood up and tugged on the blanket just enough to cover her feet and caught sight of another blanket. He gently covered her with the second blanket before taking the much desired opportunity to examine her face.

From a distance, it had appeared that she was sleeping peacefully, but now that he was closer, he realized that she had cried herself to sleep. He didn't have to be a psychologist to know that he was the reason behind those tears. He was now even more determined to talk with her, but the conversation he knew needed to happen between them could wait. It was more important that she sleep. He knew that she wasn't sleeping well since Stacy returned, despite her claims that the older woman's presence wasn't affecting her.

His eye caught sight of a book that was face-down on the floor next to where her head rested. Upon examination of the book, House realized that she had been writing in a journal of some sorts. He was surprised.

_I've never seen this before. When did she start journaling?_

He smoothed the pages down and was about to close it when he saw his name. With a furrow in his brow, he squinted as he scanned the page, feeling as if he were intruding onto some very personal ground. Looking up from his reading and focusing on her face, he digested what was written there.

He couldn't have her thinking that what she had written was true, because it wasn't. He couldn't let her leave, he knew that. He felt a wave of nausea as the conversation that afternoon played back through his mind, his barbs of bitterness and anger leaving gaping wounds on her heart and soul. Setting the book on the coffee table, he settled back in the chair he was occupying. Morning would be soon enough to talk.

xXx

The first realization Allison was aware of was that she wasn't cold. The second realization was that she wasn't alone. She closed her eyes, confused, before opening them again. No, he was real. House was sound asleep in the loveseat, his cane still in his hands and resting between his legs, his face only half illuminated due to the small amount of light the lamp emitted. She sat up slowly, the blanket falling to her lap, revealing her black spaghetti strap tank-top and the top part of her white, blue, and black striped pajama pants. She rubbed her sleep ridden eyes and leaned back against the armrest of the couch. Her gaze fell on the sleeping man in her chair and some of her anger towards him dissipated.

_Even though I told him not to come home, he still did. Why?_

She glanced at the wall clock on the wall above the couch.

_It is 2:15 in the morning._ _Why am I awake this early?_

Thinking back to the evening before, she slowly realized that she had fallen sleep at around 6:30 that evening. Now she was up and awake eight hours later.

_Stupid mental clock._

She got up and moved to the kitchen, careful not to wake House up. She wasn't sure why he was here, but she didn't want to find out by waking him up. She knew why she _wanted_ him to be there, but realistically she knew it was highly unlikely. He was probably only there to kick her out once he woke up. After all, it was originally his apartment.

With a shake of her head, she pushed any thoughts of him being apologetic about what he had said to her earlier out of her head. She knew that he was a sardonic bastard who never apologized, and she knew, logically, that he wasn't going to start now. He probably just wanted to finish the argument now that his leg was no longer top priority.

Coffee this early in the morning was a bad idea, so she settled for making a cup of tea. Quietly digging around in her cupboards, she found some Celestial Seasonings Herbal tea hiding behind the cans of roast coffee. Being careful not to let the kettle whistle when it was done, she heated the water for her herbal tea. Grabbing a box of Wheat Thins, she placed both the box and the mug on the end table. Picking up her journal and a pencil, she settled herself back on the couch, wrapping herself in the afghan before picking up her mug once again.

Instead of opening the book and writing, she laid the book in her lap and studied House's face. He seemed stressed about something, and she couldn't help but hope that somehow, just maybe, it was about her. She reached out and touched his hand lightly. She allowed a small smile when he moved it slightly and grunted in his sleep. She sat back, a smile still lighting her features and watched him for a bit before opening her journal and beginning to draw. This was the reason she bought an unlined journal, so she could sketch when the feeling came to her. Now that she had a subject, she wasn't going to waste it. Granted, he may not approve of her drawing him, but he'd never have to know about it.

A couple of hours passed like this and the next time she looked at a clock, it was 5. Glancing at her fiancé (was it still appropriate to call him her fiancé?) and back down at her page, she gave a pleased nod. Closing the book, she set it back on the table. She closed the box of Wheat Thins and, grabbing her empty mug, headed back into the kitchen. She dropped the mug in the sink and winced, hoping that House hadn't woken up. She breathed a sigh of relief when all he did was shift slightly and he gave another grunt. Rinsing out the mug, she set it beside the sink and put the box of crackers away. She glanced at the clock again. 5:05. She set the coffee to start brewing and walked into the bathroom to take a quick shower.

xXx

House awoke due to three disturbances. First and foremost, was his leg. As he was popping a pill, he realized that Allison was up because not only was she not on the couch any longer, the smell of coffee was drifting in the air. The third disturbance was the sound of a shower. Not 5 seconds after he realized that the shower was running, it shut off. He rubbed his bleary eyes and stared at the clock.

_Five fucking thirty!_

He gave an annoyed groan, rubbing his face with his hands. Leaning back in the chair, he decided to wait for Allison.

He didn't have long to wait. He listened to the sounds of her moving about in her room, most likely dressing for the day, before she opened her bedroom door. He nearly gave himself away that he was awake. She was clad in the same thing she had slept in, her black tank top and striped pants. She didn't seem to notice that he was awake because she walked straight into the kitchen and poured herself a cup of coffee and adding the appropriate sugar and milk. Turning around, she started back into the room before pausing and walking back into the living room. He slammed his eyes shut so she wouldn't think he was awake. He heard her pick something up and walk back to the room and close her bedroom door.

He opened his eyes slowly, wondering what she had taken. A brief look around and he determined that she had removed the journal and probably hidden it so he couldn't find it. Now all he had to do was find a way to deal with what he had read without letting her know that he had read it. When he heard the door open again, he kept his eyes open and trained on her figure. She saw him this time and froze in place. He couldn't keep the small grin that formed off of his face. She must have noticed it because an answering grin slowly spread across her own beautiful face.

He crooked a finger in her direction that clearly said, come here. She did, softly and painstakingly slow. Their eyes never broke their connection and soon she stood in front of him, her eyes searching for answers to the questions that lingered there. He reached up and pulled her down so that she was half on his lap and half on the cushion. She giggled and situated herself so that she was perched on the armrest, her feet on the opposite side of him. The smile faded as she looked at him again.

She broke the silence first. "How did you get in here?"

He held up his key ring and gave a quirky smile. "I do have a key to my own apartment." He said without malice or sarcasm, just pure honesty.

She nodded, her eyes moving to the floor beside the chair, not wanting to ask the next question.

"Allison?"

Her head came up at the soft inquiry from House. His eyes held no hostility or sadism, only sincerity. They seemed to coax the question from her because she found herself speaking. "Why are you here?"

He stiffened, as if he knew that that was what she was going to ask. _It's my house _was the first answer that popped in his head, though he knew that that would be the absolutely _wrong_ answer to give. The silence hung in the air stiffly; Cameron already regretted asking the question and House still just holding her in his icy blue gaze.

Then, to her amazement, the ice melted and he smiled somewhat sadly. "I'm sorry." He said, his voice sounding broken and torn, his stare falling to the wall behind her instead of on her face. His gaze was brought back to hers when he felt her fingers brush his cheek. "I didn't mean it. I was in pain and I just..." He let out a heavy sigh and rubbed a hand over his face. "I'm…I'm very, _very_ sorry."

She regarded him carefully before speaking softly. "I know." Her eyes were more trusting and brighter than they had been just moments earlier and she allowed her hand to caress his cheek lovingly.

He made his choice right then. Closing the distance between them, he used her touch on his face as leverage and kissed her gently. He could feel her hesitancy before she responded. He pulled back reluctantly before it could get too deep. He smiled at the little pout that her delicate lips formed and he couldn't help but brush his fingers lightly against them. "Allie..." He said quickly before he couldn't control himself. "We have to talk."

She leaned forward and placed her lips in his cheek. "Why?" She moved them to the corner of his lips. "You never like to talk."

He reached up and gently forced her back. "I know." He said with a serious look on his face. "But…I hurt you…deeply hurt you, and we need to talk about that, among other things. So first, we talk." The playful look came back, and a gleam entered his eyes. "Then we can make out like love-crazed, horny monkeys like both of us want."

The sad look that had entered her eyes when he pushed her away gave way to a slightly aroused flash at his last words. "Okay. We talk." She moved so that she wasn't in his face and he leaned back against the back of the chair. "Then we have our fantastic make-up sex."

House laughed lightly at that last part before becoming solemn once more. "I trust you. You're the only one I trust completely." He said seriously, his earnest gaze searching her amused one. "What I said yesterday, it was uncalled for. It's not true, and I know that." He looked away, ashamed for his harsh words and his lack of a spine.

She reached out and took his chin in one hand, forcing him to look at her. "Greg." She said gently. "It's okay."

He shook his head fervently. "No it isn't. Stacy isn't important. She stopped being important the moment she took my leg away. My obsession with her when she came back the first time was only because she was there and…" He was cut off by the firm pressure of her lips. When she pulled back, he sat there in stunned silence.

"Thank-you." She smirked briefly. "You talk too much. I just want you to promise me one thing, Greg."

"Name it." He said solemnly, finding his voice.

"Don't apologize for something that you can't change. You can't change the fact that it happened. The only thing you can do is decide whether or not you're going to let it happen again." She said, both her tone and face telling him that she was dead serious. "And if it does, you have to not only forgive yourself, but you have to accept the fact that if you are sincere, I will forgive you."

He shook his head gravely. "You always have been a martyr." He teased lightly before his tone turned serious. "You have to promise one thing for me as well." He let a small smirk grace his features.

"Name it." She repeated in the same solemn tone he had used earlier, an answering smile growing on her face.

"Never stop being you. You have to be forgiving to deal with an old bastard like me who says almost everything without thinking." He said, his tone serious, but his eyes playful.

She smirked. "We have a deal. Shall we shake on it?" Her eyes twinkled.

He pretended to ponder the question before lunging up at her. "Shaking's dumb." He managed to say before capturing her lips with his once more.

Allison Cameron couldn't have put it any better, and she much preferred House's way of sealing a deal. His lips were much more expressive than any combination of words put together ever could be.

At the slightest tickle of the tip of his tongue, she automatically opened her lips to his wet explorations of her mouth.

She tasted like the spicy mint and fluoride from her toothpaste, and he welcomed the freshness of her mouth, and with every second that ticked by, he felt a stronger and more powerful pull between them, so strong that it was almost tangible.

He tasted like early morning, but the taste didn't bother her and she pressed herself into the kiss, allowing him to devour her mouth as if it were expensive chocolate. She had been afraid, more terrified really, that she would never again have the opportunity to fully lose herself in him.

They shared one final thought before disappearing into their bedroom.

_Screw work._

xXx

AN: I know you were all thinking of throwing things at me…I apologize for any arrhythmias, strokes, palpulatations, and/or heart attacks that I may have caused. Just be glad that I didn't make it a cliff hanger! I didn't really feel like facing a lynching….

Sorry if the chapter was OCC. I have a hard time writing angst with the make up afterwards as I have never really encountered such a violently emotional fight such as the one I created for our two love birds.


End file.
